Reading the Books
by Lottielue1
Summary: The Golden Trio have been sent back into the past to read the 7 Harry Potter books to some people hoping they can change the future.
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer I dont own Harry Potter

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The beginning 

"Can I have your attention please" called a cheerful man. This man was named Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hearing the grand hall fall quiet he continued, " May these following people stay behind, James Potter, Sirius, Regglus, Bellatrix, Narcissa, Andromeda Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Lily Evans, Frank Longbottom and Alice Prewett" and with that he sat back down to continue eating his breakfast. If anyone looked closely at him they would notice that the normal sparkle in the mans blue eyes had disappeared leaving them plain and almost empty, this very morning a he had received a letter from a future Minerva McGonagall claiming that she would be sending a few people to read 7 books that could change the future for the better and had requested the names he had called out mere minutes ago to be present including himself and the present Minervra McGonagall.

Across the hall 4 boys were sat huddled together whispering, " Why does Dumbledore want to see us?" this voice belonged to a mousy kind of boy who wasn't appealing on the eyes he was Peter Pettigrew.

Don't know Wormy I really don't know as it cant be a prank cause he's called Evans." Said Sirius.

" We'll have to wait and find out." Said another boy.

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On the same date 20 years in the future in a room that now belonged to one headmistress, Minerva Mcgonagall sat one adult who was in fact the headmistress and 3 teenage pupils in their 7th year. They weren't just your normal student, they had taken on the darkest wizard of all times Lord Voldermort and together they had beaten him, their names were Harry Potter a half blood orphan, Ronald Weasley a poor pureblood and Hermione Granger a smart muggleborns.

"I know over the years we have all asked too much of all 3 of you and im deeply sorry for all that, but you know why you're here as we talked about this yesterday." Said Minervra who looked at least a decade older than her 65 years of age.

" Professor you don't need to apologies, most of the time the trouble we caused was because we were too noisy for our own good, also we agree to this we will go through with it" replied Hermione looking into the worn eyes of the older woman giving her a little smile.

" Yeah what hermione said," said Harry with a glint of happiness in his eyes that had been missing for a while.

" Your parents would be proud of you Potter, never forget that," McGonagall told him sternly wanting him to know she was serious. When she saw him smile she realised that he already know.

" Well this is goodbye for now we we'll meet again 20 years in the past, before you go have you got the books?" She questioned

" Yep in the bag all 7 and Mione has the time turner." Ron said.

"Alright then goodbye and hopefully when you return the future will be brighter." And they were final words spoken from Minervra McGonagall as she watched 3 of the bravest students she had ever met place the time turner around their necks turning it 9 times and vanish, with a sigh she turned to the portrait of the deceased man Albus Dumbledore.

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Back in the past, breakfast had finished and the chosen students were all stood waiting to here what Dumbledore had to say to them.

" Now I bet your all wondering why I have asked you all to stay behind well this very morning I was sat at my desk and my phoenix dropped a letter at my desk, the most peculiar thing was my phoenix, Fawkes was in my office already while the other phoenix which was also Fawkes. I read the letter and was shocked at what I read, because of 2 things, the 1st was letter it was from the future and 2nd 3 students would be coming here to read 7 books that could change the future, you are all here as your names where written to be present along with Professor McGonagall and mine." Said Dumbledore.

Everyone was silent after what they had been told, although it wasn't surprising they were quiet.

" Now if you follow me I will take you where we have been requested to go." And with that, in silence they all followed the headmaster through corridors up the stairs, left and right. Till they stopped at a blank wall. Dumbledore closed his eyes and thought hard and if by magic a door appeared.

" Sir where are we?" asked James still in shock.

" The room of requirement, all go in and take a seat." He told them.

Inside they all sat waiting apprehensively for who they didn't know. Then out of nowhere 3 people know older then they, had appeared.

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**Thanks**


	2. The Introduction

**Thanks for the reviews.

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The Introduction

Standing there in the middle of the room stood the 3 people who would attempt to change the future for them. Standing up Dumbledore headed to where the trio was stood and introduced himself. " My names Albus Dumbledore, although im guessing you already know who I am,"

Smiling warmly Hermione introduced them," hello Professor Dumbledore sir, my names Hermione Jane Granger" pointing to Harry she said, " this is Harry James Potter" hearing her say that caused the other occupants in the room to gasp and look at James with there eyes widening. Not been fazed by there reactions she continued "And this is Ronald Billius Weasley" again gasps where heard and Hermione still wasn't fazed. " As you have probably been told were form the future and are here to read you 7 books these 7 books are based around Harry and our years at Hogwarts"

" What so special about your years at Hogwarts and Harry?" questioned Bellatrix.

" You'll just have to wait and find out, and you are," asked Ron

" Bellatrix Black," she replied then frowned as she saw trio's faces suddenly darken but decided to keep quiet.

"Ok" said Ron

" Well let me introduce them, you have already met Bellatrix, next to her is Severus Snape beside him is Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black, Regglus Black, Lily Evans, Andromeda Black, Alice Prewett, Frank Longbottom, Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin and Professor Minervra McGonagall." Said Dumbledore pointing to each and every one of them.

I hope this isn't too much trouble,"

" Of course not my dear," McGonagall told them.

" Ok then, shall we start," seeing all of them nod their heads Harry opened the bag and took out 7 books in all sorts of sizes. Placing all the books on the coffee table he looked at the others who were eyeing them with a weird look.

" These are the books that we will be reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince and Harry Potter an the Deathly Hallows. We are going to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 1st who wants to read?" asked Harry.

" Can I" asked Lucius

" Of course" said Harry handing the book over to Lucius.

" Oh before we start we aren't going to judge anyone and everyone will get on," said Hermione glancing at all of them, before nodding her head for Lucius to begin.

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**The next chapter and so on will be them reading the stories I just wanted to give them abit of an Introduction, if you dont like it soz.**

**please review.**


	3. The boy who lived

**Chapter 1:The Boy Who Lived**

"Ok then the, here we go, the first chapter is **The Boy Who Lived**" read Lucius

" The Boy Who Lived, I don't get it." Said Sirius frowning.

"Just read," Hermione told them.

**Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four Private Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

" Dursley I've heard that before," exclaimed Lily puzzled

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

" God these people are boring, muggles I bet," announced Narcissa with a smirk on her face.

**Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

" What's a drill?" Frank asked

" It's what muggles use to screw in screws to materials like wood. Lily said

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and blond and had twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent most of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. The dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy** **anywhere.**

" Who would name their son Dudley, I thought mine was bad, but Dudley" said Andromeda.

" What's these people got to do with Harry?" questioned James.

" You'll soon find out." Said Harry

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"What there is nothing wrong with us Potters, not now, not ever." Yelled James at the book.

" Did he just yell at a book?" whispered Sirius to Remus

" Yes," he replied

**Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs Dursley pretended that she didn't have a sister, because her sister and good-for-nothing husband were unDursleyish as it was possible to be.**

"Wait a minute my sister gotmarried to man called Vernon Dursley and she says she doesn't have a sister," said Lily.

" Yes I marry Evans I marry Evans." Chanted James

" Mr potter if you don't keep quiet I will make you keep quiet." Mcgonagall said sternly, causin' James to gulp.

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbourhood would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never seen him.**

" That must be Harry" Voiced Snape.

This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.

" Im beginning to dislike this boy" announced Dumbledore.

**When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country.**

" Wonder what's happening?" murmured Bellatrix to Snape.

**Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley in to his high chair.**

" Spoilt brat" said Remus

" He makes Regglus seem like an angle at that age." Said Sirius cheekily

" Hey" called Regglus

**None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window**. **At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his brief case, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls ' little tyke' chortled Mr Dursley,**

" Little tyke more like little Brat." Explained Peter.

**As he left the house. He got into the car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar- a cat reading a map. **

" Professor Mcgonagall" they all said looking at her.

**For a second Mr Dursley didn't realise what he had seen- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Private Drive but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? **

" Er a cat reading a map maybe."Said Lucius

**It must have been a trick of the light. Mr Dursley blinked and starred at the cat. It stared back. As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Private Drive – no looking at the sign; cats couldn't read or maps. **

" Muggles always try not to believe what they see in front of them."Ron said out loud

**Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get today.**

" Man that guy needs a hobby," exclaimed Snape

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

"That's not strange," squeaked Peter.

" Not for wizards wormy but muggles that's a different story." Explained Remus.

**Mr Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes – the get-ups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together.**

" Well that's stupid of them isn't it, attracting muggles attention like that?" Spat Mcgonagall.

**Mr Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why that man had to be older than he was and wearing an emerald-green cloak!**

" Well at least he has a sense of colour, emerald green," said James.

" You only like that colour because it the colour of lily's eyes, giggled Alice causing James to pout and Lily to scowl.

**The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr Dursley that this was some silly stunt- these people were obviously collecting for something … yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on, and a few minutes later, Mr Dursley arrived in the Grunnings car park, his mind back on drills. Mr Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't he might of found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight,**

"They must be more careful," said Alice.

**Though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open- mouthed as owl after owl spread overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr Dursley, however, had perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled five different people.**

"What a cheerful and pleasant man" Andromeda said sarcastically

**He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he'd though he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakers opposite.**

"Like he needs to put anymore weight on the fat idiot." Spat Narcissa unpleasantly.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This lot were whispering excitedly, too and he couldn't see a single collection tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**' The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard- '**

**' Yes their son, Harry- '**

**Mr Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whispers as if he wanted to say something to him, but thought better of it.**

" Coward" said Snape.

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone and had almost finished dialling his home number when he change his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking … no, he was being stupid Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

" I would not name my son Harold or Harvey," cringed James.

" I wouldn't let you name my godson Harold or Harvey." Replied Sirius.

" Who said your gonna be godfather" asked James.

" Me" said Sirius.

**There was no point worrying Mrs Dursley, she always got upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her- if he had a sister like that… but all the same, those people in cloaks.**

" Man that guy needs help." Laughed Lily

" Agreed Lils" said Alice.

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon, and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight in to someone just outside the door.**

**'Sorry' he grunted as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr Dursley realised that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at been almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passes by stare.**

" Flitwick" said Albus with a chuckle, but was cut short as a gasp was heard from Lucius.

" What" asked Frank intriguingly?

" Listen." Replied Lucius.

**' Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You- Know- Who has gone at last! Even muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!'**

"You Know Who's Gone" repeated Alice still in shock looking at Harry to see if what she had heard was true, however all she got in return was Harry lowing his eyes.

" Even if You Know Who has gone they still should be careful." Said McGonagall.

**And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

**Mr Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"What, not believing in an imagination, he has to be on that muggle thing crack or somet like that." Yelled Bellatrix.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw – and it didn't improve his mood – was the tabby cat he'd spotted this morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around it eyes.**

**'Shoo' said Mr Dursley loudly.**

This caused the all of them to laugh.

" As if that would work" said Hermione wiping the tears from her eyes, what had been caused from the laughing.

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

This caused even more laughter from the group.

**Was this normal cat behaviour, Mr Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself enter the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs next doors problem with her daughter and how Dudley had learnt a new word (shan't!).**

"What a disgusting boy" commented McGonagall

**Mr Dursley tried to act normal. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news.**

**'And finally, bird watchers everywhere have reported that the nations owls have been behaving very unusual today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why owls have suddenly changed their sleeping patterns.'**

" Bet I can guess why, wizards" mumbled harry.

**The newsreader allowed himself a grin. ' most mysterious. And now over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be anymore showers of owls tonight, Jim?'**

**'Well Ted' said the weatherman, I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly tonight. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early – it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight.'**

**Mr Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…**

**Mrs Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously**

**'Er – petunia,**

" NOOO" moaned Lily as she buried her head in her hands.

" Miss Evans whatever is the matter," asked dumbledore

"My sister is called Petunia, and she's just married a man with the surname Dursley and she pretends she doesn't have a sister, im Mrs Potter." She cried.

" Harry she took this badly what's gonna happen when she finds out that she and James are dead." Whispered Hermione loud enough for only Harry and Ron to here.

" I don't know Hermione, I really don't know." Replied Harry quietly.

**Dear you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you.?'**

**As he expected, Mrs Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

**'No', she said sharply. 'why?'**

**' Funny stuff on the news', Mr Dursley mumbled. 'Owls … shooting stars… and there were a lot of funny – looking people in town today…'**

**'So? Snapped Mrs Dursley.**

**Well, I just thought…maybe … it was something to do with … you know … her lot.'**

**Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name 'Potter'. He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, 'their so – he'd be about Dudley's age now wouldn't he?'**

**'I suppose so,' said Mrs Dursley Stiffly.**

**What's his name again? Howard isn't it?**

**" Howard, what is it with him and horrid names" exclaimed Narcissa**

**'Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me.**

"No it's not it's a lovely name ten times better than Dudley" yelled Lily.

'Oh, yes,' said Mr Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. 'yes I quite agree.'

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to be. While Mrs Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Private Drive as though waiting for something.**

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did … if it got out that they were related to a pair of – well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

" I am definitely beginning to dislike them," said Bellatrix darkly.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved , there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind… He couldn't see how he and petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on. He yawned and turned over. It couldn't affect them…**

**How very wrong he was.**

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed in the next street, nor when the two owls swooped overhead In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all…**

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cats tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.**

" With that description I'd say that's you Albus" laughed McGonagall

**He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

" You were right Professor," said Ron.

"Of course I've known him long enough." She replied.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realise that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realise he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

**He had found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

" I want one" whined Sirius

"I've got one" boasted Ron and laughed when he saw Sirius scowl then pout.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left in the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him.**

**If anyone looked out of their window now, even the beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat.**

**He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**'Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall.'**

" Wasn't much of a surprise was it, the stern glare gave it away." Said Snape cheekily causing McGonagall to fix him one of them glares.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

" Professor you are a disgrace to the Gryffindor house wearing emerald green robes, don't you like red?" asked Sirius

" Unfortunately Mr Black I don't own a red cloak." She said rather amused.

**'How did you know it was me?' she asked.**

**'My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly.'**

"Something's never change" whispered Dumbledore to Harry, causing him to smile.

What was that Albus Dumbledore?" asked McGonagall looking right at him

Wide eyed he responded " nothing, nothing"

**'You'd be stiff too if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day,' said Professor McGonagall.**

**'All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here.'**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

"Watching them muggles all day probably would make your temper short." Muttered Peter to James who nodded.

**'Oh yes, everyone's celebrating all right,' she said impatiently. 'You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles noticed something's going on. It was on their news.' She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. 'I heard it. Flocks of owls ... shooting stars ... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense.'**

" Wow Professor aren't you lovely," voiced Regglus causing his friends to smirk.

**'You can't blame them,' said Dumbledore gently. 'We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years.'**

**'I know that,' said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes swapping rumours.'**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on:**

**'A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?'**

**'It certainly seems so,' said Dumbledore. 'We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a sherbet lemon?'**

laughter erupted from the golden trio, seeing the confused faces of everyone else Hermione explained.

" Where were from whenever you went into Professor Dumbledore's office he would ask you if you wanted a Sherbet Lemon or Lemon Drop.

Unknown to her Dumbledore noticed the past tense in her sentence but decided to keep it quiet.

**'A what?'**

**'A sherbet lemon. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of.'**

**'No, thank you,' said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for sherbet lemons.**

" You never did think it was a good time for a sherbet lemon.' Said Ron.

**As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"**

'**My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like your self can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldermort name.'**

" You fear the person not the name," said Harry looking at Dumbledore who was like another father to him.

'**I know you haven't,' said Professor McGonagall, sounding half-exasperated, **

**half-admiring. 'But you're different. Everyone knows you're the one You-Know - oh, all right, Voldermort was frightened of.' **

'**You flatter me,' said Dumbledore calmly. **

'**Voldermort had powers I will never have.'**

'Only because you're too - well - noble to use them.'

"It's the truth sir" said Remus

'**It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs.'**

"Didn't need to know that" groaned Ron, Sirius and James together.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, **

'**The owls are nothing to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?'**

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now.**

**It was plain that whatever 'everyone' was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another sherbet lemon and did not answer.**

"Wonder what it is," said Bellatrix to the group.

" I bet it's got something to do with the chapters name." Assumed Snape.

"Good point… wait did I just agree with Snape." Asked a panicked Sirius seeing everyone nod their heads well nearly everyone as Snape was still in shock.

" Nooo, kill me," cried a dramatic Sirius, if anyone had looked at Snape then they would of noticed that he looked like Christmas had come early because of the idea of Sirius Black dead.

'What they're saying," she pressed on, 'is that last night Voldermort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are

"I marry Lily Evans woo" yelled James with a huge grin on his face but it soon disappeared as he saw the look on Lucius's face.

"What is it" asked Dumbledore who had also seen Lucius's face. However Lucius ignored both of them looking at the Golden trio to see if he should continue reading. Receiving a nod, he read the next bit.

**- are - that they're - dead.**

The room was silent except for Lily's sobs that had just echoed in the room, unsure what to do James wrapped his arms around Lily and held her tight and his own tears began to fall.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

'**Lily and James ... I can't believe it ... I didn't want to believe it ... Oh, Albus ...'**

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know ... I know ...' he said heavily.**

Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. 'That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.

" what does he mean tried to kill our son" chocked out Lily who was still crying along with many others, Sirius noticed that Harry, Ron and Hermione weren't crying.

" Aren't you three affected by that. Snapped Sirius coldly

" Of course were affected we wouldn't be here if we weren't, but we've cried our tears and now there dried up.

'**But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldermort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone.'**

"The boy who lived" murmured Remus

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**'It's - it's true?' faltered Professor McGonagall. 'After all he's done ... all the people he's killed ... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding ...of all the things to stop him ... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?'**

"Good question Professor" said Andromeda who was in shock.

'We can only guess,' said Dumbledore. 'We may never know.'

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took out a watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, 'Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?'**

'**Yes,' said Professor McGonagall. 'And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?**

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle.**

"WHAT" yelled everyone except Dumbledore who wasn't fazed.

'**They're the only family he has left now.'**

'**You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?' cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. 'Dumbledore - you can't.'**

"I agree with you professor," said Frank.

'I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!'

'**It's the best place for him,' said Dumbledore firmly. 'His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter.'**

"Hump they did a good job of telling me" mumbled Harry to Hermione.

**'A letter?' repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall.**

**'Really Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him!**

**'He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his** **name!'**

" That's an understatement of the year if I've ever heard one." Said Ron who was hit at the back of the head from Harry.

**'Exactly,' said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. 'It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?'**

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course.**

"Wow there's a first for everything, she backed down." Said a shock

'**But how is the boy getting here Dumbledore?'**

**She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.  
'Hagrid's bringing him.'**

**You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?'**

'**I would trust Hagrid with my life,' said Dumbledore.**

**I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place,' said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, 'but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?'**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

**" Cool I want a motorbike, bet it's mine." Said Sirius**

" Why would you want a motorbike, anyway it's Hagrid's" said Bellatrix causing to scowl at her.

**If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

" That's a pretty good description of Hagrid don't you think." Voiced Remus

"Yes Mooney" replied James

"Why do you call you call each other Padfoot, Wormtail, Mooney and Prongs" asked Regglus Confused.

Before either of the marauders could answer Harry answered his question " you'll find out in the 3rd book that's got them in." the look on the marauders faces were of pure horror and Remus looked like he was going to be sick.

'**Hagrid,' said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. 'At last. And where did you get that motorbike?'**

**'Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir,' said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorbike as he spoke. 'Young Sirius Black lent it me.'**

" YES, it is mine, so where im I," yelled Sirius

" You will also find that in the 3rd book." Said Hermione

'**I've got him, sir.'**

'No problems, were there?'

'**No, sir - house was almost destroyed but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we were flyin' over Bristol.'**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"Ohh bless," cooed lily and Alice causing Harry to red.

**'Is that where -?' whispered Professor McGonagall.**

'**Yes,' said Dumbledore. 'He'll have that scar for ever.'**

'**Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?'**

'**Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee, which is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with.'**

" Do you really" asked Snape intrigued.

" Yes I do," said Dumbledore showing them it.

" Cool" whistled James.

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say goodbye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid.**

**He bent his great shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss.**

**Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

" I take offence to that statement" huffed Sirius

'**Shhh!' hissed Professor McGonagall. 'You'll wake the Muggles!'**

'**S-s-sorry,' sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. 'But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles –'**

'**Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found,' Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

" Poor Hagrid" said Andromeda causing her sisters to scowl at her.

**'Well,' said Dumbledore finally, 'That's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations.'**

'**Yeah,' said Hagrid in a very muffled voice. 'I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir.'**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself on to the motorbike and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

"Oh how classy " responded Narcissa snobbishly.

" Er Ron, no wonder ferrets a snob," whispered Harry indicating to Narcissa.

" Yeah I know, I thought that too." Replied Ron in the same hushed tone.

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street.**

He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.

'**Good luck, Harry,' he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.**

" I don't care who the parents are know child should grow up with out a mum or dad with them that's just cruel." Said Bellatrix strongly.

" That's what death eaters do though, I suggest you remember what you just said in the future" Hermione said to Bellatrix only thinking of Nevile.

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley ...He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!'**

" I hope this story gets happier this is depressing." Said McGonagall quietly.

" Welcome to the future professor, it not a very nice one." Ron replied.

" If you think this chapters bad wait till you have to read the parts were people start dieing and their lives turn out, cause some of you are in for one hell of a ride." Stated Hermione. Thinking of Snape.

" What are the best books would you say to read?" asked Lucius

" I personally think the most interesting ones to read are Chamber of Secrets, prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of fire, order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows, as that one answers a lot of questions from the other books," announced Hermione.

" So who wants to read next?" asked Ron

" I will," volunteered Frank.

* * *

**Here's the 1st chapter of the harry Potter books and ill admit it's not as easy as i thought.**

**Please review it makes my day**

**Thanks**


	4. The Vanishing Glass

**After reading the reviews i apologize about the copyright problem you may of had and hopefully they have been solved, i didnt know i did anything wrong at the time.

* * *

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Chapter 2: The Vanishing Glass

"Okay the next chapter is called the vanishing glass," announced Frank as a puzzled look crossed his face. "That's a strange name for a title"

" To me Mr Longbottom that could suggest the first signs of accidental magic" said McGonagall thoughtfully.

"Longbottom the quicker you stop talking and read we might actually find out what it means before next year," snapped Lucius.

" Shut up Lucy, start reading Frank will ya Snape's greasy hair is giving me a migraine," said Sirius cheekily.

" You'll pay for that Black" Snarled Snape standing with his wand pointing towards Sirius.

" Mr Snape sit down and Mr Black 10 points off Gryffindor, Mr Longbottom would you be so kind to read," said Dumbledore receiving a nod form Frank.

**Nearly 10 years had past since the Dursleys had found their nephew on the front door step.**

" You left my baby on the door step" yelled Lily at Dumbledore who looked down sheepishly.

"Lily sit down and let Frank continue with the chapter" whispered Hermione calmly and surprised to see her do just that.

**The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living-room, which was almost the same as it had been on the night when Vernon Dursley had seen the fateful news reports about the owls. Only the photos on the mantelpiece showed how much time had changed.**

**Ten years ago there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach call wearing different coloured caps-**

" He's been compared to a beach ball" snickered Snape. Who knew what a beach ball was however he was the only Slytherin that did.

" A what" asked a confused Andromeda?

" A ball you play with at a beach," explained James sarcastically like he was talking to a 2 year old.

**But Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby,**

"No duh" said Sirius causing a few to chuckle.

**And now the photos showed a large blond boy riding his first bike, on a roundabout at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother.**

" What the hell is a computer game, a bike, the fair?" asked Bellatrix

" A computer is a muggle contraption that allows you to surf the Internet, before you ask the Internet is something that has a lot of information, also on a computer you can write stories, listen to music and other stuff, a computer game is data usually on a disk that you load up on the computer to play, a bike is a two wheeled thing that young children play on however adults and teenagers use them too, there main use is to take you places faster than walking and for enjoyment they can also be used for exercise and sport. A fair is a place that muggles go to for days out some have rides others can animals it depends where you go." Said Hermione looking a Bellatrix whose eyes widened in surprise.

" Muggles do that," asked Regglus who was also surprised

" Yep said Lily that time.

**The room held know sign that another boy lived in the house too.**

Causing Lily and James to growl at the book.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long.**

"That doesn't sound good," muttered Remus to Peter.

**His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day**

**' Up! Get up! Now!'**

**Harry woke with a start.**

" No wonder, having to hear that sound so early in the morning could wake anyone with a start." Said Peter, the fellow Gryffindors agreeing with him

**His Aunt rapped on the door again.**

**'Up' she screeched. Harry heard her walk towards the kitchen and the sound of the frying pan been put on the cooker.**

**He rolled back onto his back trying to remember the dream he had been having.**

" Hey Prongs I bet you two galleons that it was a bad dream" said Sirius

" You on Padfoot"

**It had been a good one**

" NNNNNOOOOO!" yelled Sirius.

" Show me the money Pads" said James holding his hand out as Sirius gave the money reluctantly to him. " Victory is sweet"

" Mr potter do shut up," snapped McGonagall.

**There had been a flying motorbike in it.**

" That's creepy," said Narcissa.

**He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

" Not a dream mate, reality maybe" said Ron cheekily who was hit at the back of the head by Harry.

**His Aunt was back outside the door**

**'Are you up yet?' she demanded.**

"Obviously not" said Alice mockingly.

**'Nearly,' said Harry.**

**'Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn.**

" She treats you like a house elf" said Lucius angrily to Harry even though he believed that purebloods were superior to all the other wizarding folk and muggles he also believed that any wizard or witch no matter what their blood type was they were more important than any muggle.

" I know however I didn't even know what a house elf was and been treated like that was all I knew." Explained Harry.

" You mean she treats you like that all the time." Asked Dumbledore a little surprised.

" Yep" answered Harry

**'I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday.'**

"Duddy, she's given him the worst name in the world Dudley and now he has the worst nickname in the world. Chuckled Remus.

" You think that's bad wait till you hear the others," said Harry a smirk that would challenge any Slytherins.

**Harry groaned**

**'What did you say?" snapped his Aunt through the door.**

**'Nothing, nothing…'**

**Dudley's birthday – how could he forget?**

" Not your fault mate, Prongzie here also has a bad memory." Said Sirius laughing at the now pouting James.

**Harry slowly got out of bed and started looking for a fresh pair of socks. He found a pair under his bed and pulled the spiders**

Causing Ron and Narcissa to shudder as both having a fear of spider.

**Of one and put them on. Harry was used to spiders**

Again Ron and Narcissa shuddered.

**Because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

Only six small words caused the occupants in the room to uproar in anger. Well all except Harry Ron and Hermione and Dumbledore.

" You sleep in a cupboard, I kill her, how could she." Yelled a furious lily.

"Albus are you listening to this, this has to be one of the stupidest ideas you will ever have." Exclaimed McGonagall angrily.

" Yes Minervra im listening, and I believe you're right this might be a very stupid idea."

**When he was dressed he went into the kitchen.**

**The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents.**

" That is either a small table or a lot of presents." Said James "hey Pads bet you five Galleons that it's a lot of presents"

"Your on mate" said Sirius.

**It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he had wanted, the second television**

" Who needs two telly's" asked Hermione looking at Harry? Dudley was her answer she got.

**And the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to him as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise – unless of course it involved punching somebody.**

"What a horrendous young boy." Said McGonagall

**Dudley's favourite punching bag was Harry,**

No one spoke however Sirius growled

**But he didn't often catch** **him.**

"Good" spat James who was disliking the boy more and more.

**Harry may not of looked it but he was very fast. Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard but Harry had always looked skinny and small for his age.**

" Nope James had always been small and skinny." Remus said.

**He looked even smaller and skinner than he really should because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's and Dudley was four times bigger than him. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright green eyes.**

" That's how Potter looked when he first came to Hogwarts," said Lucius "except the eyes he has his mother's eyes"

Just that one sentences brought knowing smiles on all three of the golden trio's faces.

**He wore round glasses that were sellotaped together because of all the times Dudley had punched him in the nose.**

" Did you ever brake your nose?" asked Snape

" No, you?" asked Harry wanting to learn more about Snape.

" Yes a couple of times," Said Snape quieter than usual.

" How" asked Ron

" My father" and those two words made heads turn. Sensing Snapes discomfort Frank continued reading.

**The only thing Harry liked about his appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a lightening bolt.**

"You used to like your scar," said Ron in surprise

" Yeah but that was before I knew the reason why I had it."

" What do you mean?" asked Frank

" Just read" harry replied.

**He had it as long as he remembered and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had got it.**

**'In a car crash when your parent died.'**

"What" yelled everyone?

" Petunia is so gonna pay the next time I see her." Screeched Lily who was beyond annoyed.

**' And don't ask questions'**

**Don't ask questions – that was the first rule for the quiet life at the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

'**Comb your hair!' he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

" Git, he has no right to order my son about." Said James.

"Actually he does as he is Harry's guardian till he turns of age. Said Hermione.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shout that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than all of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place.**

" Nope that's the Potter hair there is just no controlling it." Said James messing it up even more causing Lily to roll her eyes.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his****mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel**

" Guess the muggle sayings right 'he's got a face only a mother could love'" said Lucius who had heard the saying once before.

**Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

" You go man" Sirius laughed his bark laugh.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as****there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

'**Thirty-six,' he said, looking up at his mother and father. 'That's two less than last year.'**

"36 present I don't even get that" yelled Narcissa

" Same they call us spoilt brats, what about him" exclaimed Bellatrix.

" Paddy my greatest friend in the world, pay up" James told Sirius

" Why" asked Sirius

" Well it's defiantly not a small table if they can afford to buy 36 presents" exclaimed Peter in his usual squeaky voice.

" Fine" growled Sirius handing another five galleons over.

'Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy.'

'**All right, thirty-seven then,' said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"How old is he?" asked Alice

" Eleven" answered Andromeda

" Eleven years old and throwing a tantrum at his age disgraceful nothing good come out of spoiling children.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, 'and****we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, pumpkin? Two more presents. Is that all right'**

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, 'So I'll have thirty...thirty...'**

" Oh god he can't count, that boy is a lost cause." Said McGonagall

"Yeah he even makes Black look cleaver," said Snape who hadn't spoken since revealing a bit about his home life.

A few seconds later Sirius realised what Snape had said and jumped up and hexed Snape turning his hair Pink and his robes yellow with sky blue polka dots. Defending his fellow housemate Lucius jumped up and hexed Sirius giving him an orange face and his eyes that were normally grey to flash green and purple. Soon all the students were hexing each other. It took over five minutes for the professors to calm both side down.

"I am immensely disappointed in all of you, you will all stay in the body binding curse except Frank who will continue in reading," Screamed McGonagall

Suddenly Harry Hermione and Ron couldn't hold their laughter in anymore and they laughed and laughed as sat in font of them were some of the most feared people in the future with multi - coloured hair orange blue and purple faces.

" Sorry it's not … something you expect … some of these people …to look like" explained Ron who was holding his side and gasping for breath.

" Alright" said McGonagall trying hard not to smile as he saw some students who claimed to have a troubled future laugh and smile like young children. Releasing Frank from the body binding curse and nodded for him to continue.

'**Thirty-nine, sweetums,' said Aunt Petunia**

"If I hear anymore annoying pet names for that fat brat I think I'll kill someone." said Lucius

Not noticing the scowls that had appeared on their faces however once again Bellatrix did.

**Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. **

"**All right ****then." Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke"**

" Little he needs his eyes testing does that man," yelled Andromeda.

**Wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!"**

**He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.**

" Im not even going to ask what they are all I know is it expensive" said Snape

"Very expensive actually" said Hermione and Lily simultaneously.

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

"**Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

" Did she ever take you?" asked Regglus

" Nope" replied Harry.

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

" Bet that's fun" said Lily wrinkling her nose in obvious distaste.

" You bet," said Harry sarcastically.

**'Now what?' said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this all along?**

" That's unfair," yelled Frank and Alice.

**Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Tufty, Mr. Paws, and Snowy again.**

"Well at least you tried to feel sorry for her. Said Lily acting motherly.

'We could phone Marge,' Uncle Vernon suggested.

"Who's Marge?" asked Lucius

" Uncle Vernon's Sister" replied Harry.

'**Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy.'**

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

" Better to be a slug than a fat pig in a wig" Announced Bellatrix in her normal im- better - than - you – voice.

'**What about your friend — Yvonne?'**

"She's still friends with her" muttered Lily to herself

**On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

'**You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to****watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

"Wrong move kiddo" said Remus

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

"If you ask me she looks like that anyway," said Snape who still had pink hair.

**And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

'**I won't blow up the house,' said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

'**I suppose we could take him to the zoo,' said Aunt Petunia slowly, '…and leave him in the car…'**

'**That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone…'**

**Dudley began to cry loudly.**

" What a baby?" said Alice

**In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

" Petunia never was the smartest person in the world," said Lily who was scowling at the book.

'**Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special****day!' she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

The whole of the room was full with laughter at the new nickname that Dudley had.

"Dinky … Duddydums … is even better …than before" laughed Sirius with tears running down his face

'**I…don't…want…him…t-t-to come!' Dudley yelled between huge, pretend****sobs. 'He always sp-spoils everything!' He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

"What that boy needs is a good spanking," said McGonagall crossing her arms

**Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt**

**Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.**

"Hey I take offence to that comment," piped Peter causing the Golden Trio to scowl however Dumbledore noticed it.

**He was the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

" Can't let his friend see him cry like a baby" spat an annoyed Andromeda who was the second oldest of the blacks who had left school but was asked to come to Hogwarts along with Bellatrix, to discover the future.

**Half an hour later, Harry** **couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the****back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside**.

**I'm warning you,' he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to**

**Harry's, **

'**I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas.'**

" Child abuse" yelled McGonagall

I thought my father was bad but I was never put in a cupboard thought Snape quietly.

'**I'm not going to do anything,' said Harry, 'honestly…'**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

"That's sad" whispered Andromeda to Alice.

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was****just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left **

'**To hide that horrible scar.'**

"Bitch" muttered Sirius.

**Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair had grown back exactly how it looked before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.**

"That is some pretty strong accidental magic there," said Dumbledore.

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

How dare she, she knows that it was accidental magic." Snapped Lily angrily.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting****old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls).**

"Ewe" squealed Narcissa causing the occupants in the room to stare at her oddly "what that sweater is disgusting" she defended herself.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief Harry wasn't punished.**

" Thank god" muttered James

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney.**

"Interesting" muttered Dumbledore

"What's interesting Headmaster" asked Snape.

" There hasn't been a case of accidental apparation before."

"Well sir there hasn't been someone who has survived the killing curse except Harry" said Ron

" Very true" replied Dumbledore

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with**

**Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

" Oh no" muttered Frank

" What?" asked Remus

" Think about it the title is called Vanishing Glass. Glass doesn't vanish on its own something's gonna go wrong" said Frank

"Oh" was Sirius's only reply.

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to****complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects.**

" Do you have the feeling that Uncle Vernon doesn't like Harry?" Said Sirius

" Shut up Padfoot" Said Remus.

**This morning, it was motorcycles.**

'…**Roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums,' he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

" There is nothing wrong with Motorcycles" snapped Sirius

**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It****was flying.**

"Bad move Harry," said Lucius acting pleasant.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned around****in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beetroot with a moustache:**

**'MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!'**

" Well genius there was one flying in the last chapter" said Narcissa smugly

" The Dursley's haven't read the books" explained Hermione.

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

**'I know they don't,' said Harry. 'It was only a dream'**

" I shouldn't have mentioned it," whispered Harry to Hermione.

**But he wished he hadn't mentioned anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys****hated even more than asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

" God I've never met such boring people in my life" said Bellatrix looking at her long red nails.

" Actually you haven't met them" stated Ron smartly earning him two slaps at the back of his head one from Hermione and one from Harry.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The ****Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.**

"Well at least he got something" said Peter.

**It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head that looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

Sniggers were heard from the direction were the Slytherins were seated.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk****a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him.**

" Git" mumbled Alice

" Agreed" muttered Frank who heard what she said.

**They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his Knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top,**

**Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

" Was it nice?" questioned Lucius receiving a nod answering his question.

" Speaking of food when are we having dinner?" asked Peter who was always thinking about his stomach

" When we have finished the next chapter," replied dumbledore.

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trashcan — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

**'Make it move,' he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

'**Do it again,' Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

" He should count himself lucky if the snake was awake it would be real pissed off" said Snape.

**This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

" Wow your life is full of fun" remarked Sirius sarcastically

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its****head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. It winked**

" That's strange," whispered Narcissa quietly to Lucius.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

"Why?" asked Regglus

" Don't remember to be honest" answered Harry.

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its****eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

'**I get that all the time.'**

'**I know,' Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. 'It must be really annoying.'**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

" You're a Parslemouth?" asked James in shock as harry nodded his head " How"

"You'll find out later on" replied Harry

"Can't you tell us now" asked Andromeda.

" Nope it'll spoil the books if I tell you now." he said

**Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

'**Was it nice there?'**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. **

'**Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?'**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. **

'**DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS**

**SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!'**

" Guess Dudley's friends are as stupid as he" said Alice

" You have no idea" Said Harry.

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

'**Out of the way, you,' he said, punching Harry in the ribs.**

" How dare he," yelled Lily and James.

**Caught by****surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete ground. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

" What happened?" asked Peter squeakily

" The glass vanished," said Remus

" Ho do you know that Mr Lupin" asked Dumbledore.

" Well the title is called The Vanishing Glass and both Dudley and Piers are leaning against some glass, it's what you call a logical guess," he said a little embarrassed.

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had****vanished. **

" Moony you were right." Said Sirius.

" When im I wrong," he replied cheekily.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the****floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, 'Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amigo.'**

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

**'But the glass,' he kept saying, 'where did the glass go?'**

" It disappeared you idiot" spat Bellatrix. Reminding them of her in the future.

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea****while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death.**

" Oh grow up" smirked Lily at their idiotic ways.

**But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, 'Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?'**

"Why you little rat," snarled Lucius "he better sleep with both eyes open, I might just pay him a visit late at night.

"Are you implying something Lucius? " asked Hermione

His eyes widened when as he understood her question, " no and keep your nose out of other people's business"

" If you haven't yet realised you are my business as im hear to change your future." She replied bossily

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting****on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, 'Go —cupboard — stay — no meals,' before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt**

**Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

" You better of gotten fed" snapped James.

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food. He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long a she could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that****car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all.**

"You remember that?" asked Dumbledore, his eyebrows rose when Harry nodded.

"They say in the muggle world that if a young child witness a tragic event they are most likely to remember it in years to come with visions and flashbacks." Said Hermione.

**His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house. When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

"Yeah that was really weird I didn't know any of them but they knew me and I didn't know why. Then they disappeared and that totally confused me." Said Harry thinking back to then.

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang**.

" You poor thing" cooed Alice and Lily simultaneously causing Harry to blush.

" That's the end of the chapter," Frank said

" Can I read?" asked Peter nervously.

" Sure" said Frank handing the book to Peter

" When do we meet some different people?" asked Snape

" After this chapter, I think." Replied Ron.

* * *

**Hope you like please review.**

**thanks **


	5. The letter from no one

thanks for the reviews. 

* * *

**The Letters From No One**

"Ok then the next chapter is called **The Letters from No one**." Read Peter

" Well that's a lie," said Snape.

" What do you mean?" asked Regglus.

"Well think about it when you receive a letter it had to come from someone hadn't it so it cant be from no one." Explained Snape

" True, however if it doesn't say who wrote it then to you it's a letter from no one," exclaimed Sirius.

" How about you let Peter read then we can have lunch and found out who sent the letter," requested Ron

" Ok" whispered Peter

**The escape of the Brazilian Boa Constrictor earned Harry his longest punishment ever. By the time he was let out of his cupboard again the summer holidays had begun.**

" How long was there to go before the summer holidays," asked Lily hoping for a day.

" About one and a half, two months. Said Harry scratching the back of his neck nervously.

" One and a half to two months" screeched McGonagall, turning to Dumbledore she sent a menacing glare causing him gulp slightly. The others however didn't speak to annoyed to say anything anyway.

**And Dudley had already broken his new cine- camera crashed his new remote control aeroplane and first time on his racing bike he knocked down old Mrs Figg as she crossed Private Drive on her crutches.**

" Poor Mrs Figg," sympathised Alice.

" Those people need to go to one of them muggle parenting classes." Exclaimed Regglus who was forced to take Muggle Studies.

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon were all big and stupid.**

" Hearing the names I can picture them big, fat and stupid." Muttered Snape to Lucius who agreed.

**But Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest were happy to join in with Dudley's favourite game: Harry Hunting.**

How about we play a game called Dudley Hunting, exclaimed James. Everyone agreed with James except the professors and the golden trio.

**This was why Harry spent most of his days out of the house as possible as he could,**

" That's sad you had to leave your own home to stop from been beaten up." Said Narcissa sadly, all harry could do was nod.

**Wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope.**

" Why's that" asked Sirius rather stupidly and was yelled at for been stupid and to shut up so they could find out.

**When September started he would be going of to high school and for the first time in his life he'd be going with out Dudley as he had a place at Uncle Vernon's old school Smeltings.**

" What about Hogwarts" said Frank?

" Longbottom from what we've learnt about the Dursley's do you really think they've told Harry he's a wizard" snarled Lucius

" Sorry" spat Frank to Lucius, everyone knew that Frank and Lucius hated each other just as much as the marauders and Snape did.

**Piers Polkiss was going there, too Harry on the other hand was going to the district public school Stonewall high, with Dudley's other friends.**

" He's off to Hogwarts you great idiot," said Sirius

" Even if you weren't going to Hogwarts you'd be away from Dudley and his mates would probably leave you alone," said Regglus.

" You know I never thought of it like that," said Harry thoughtfully.

**Dudley thought this was funny.**

**" They stuff peoples heads down the toilets on there first day at Stonewall," he told Harry "do you want to go upstairs and practise?"**

" Basted" mumbled Lily and lost 5 points for Gryffindor.

When they read the next bit were Harry said the toilet had never seen anything as disgusting then his head down it, it might be sick. And then ran away before Dudley had worked it out caused the whole room to burst out in laughter even Dumbledore and McGonagall.

" Prongs your son is ace" laughed Remus.

" Mate that's even better then the amazing bouncing ferret moment." Said Ron causing the trio to laugh even harder.

" Amazing bouncing ferret" said Bellatrix again just to know what she heard first time round was right." what the hell is that" she asked.

" You'll find out sooner or later, said Hermione with a smile on her face remembering that precise memory.

" What's it about" asked Narcissa.

" Let's just say blonds make good ferrets," said Ron who smirked when he saw Narcissa and Lucius's eyes widen and then glance to his wand.

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London his Smeltings uniform leaving Harry with Mrs Figg. It wasn't as bad as usual. It turned put that since she broke her leg over one of her cats she didn't seem quite so keen with them anymore.**

"Well you wouldn't be would you" voiced Alice who didn't like cats very much.

**She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake,**

"Mmm" moaned Sirius.

**That tasted as if she'd had it for several years.**

" Urge" said Regglus sticking his tongue out and Sirius had turned a pale green colour.

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters.**

" Ick" squealed Narcissa in obvious distaste in the school uniform.

**They also carried around knobbly stick, used for hitting each other while their teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

"What! Muggles have officially lost it." Snarled Snape who strongly disagreed with physical violence as he suffered enough at home by his father.

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said Gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it her Ickle Dudleykins; he looked so handsome and grown- up.**

" He really didn't" said Harry

" I can see why, a pig in a wig wearing a maroon tailcoat with orange knickerbockers," said Hermione causing the others to laugh as they imagined what he looked like.

" Harry do you think Dudley would make a good ferret" asked Ron

"Probably not too fat." Replied Harry causing the others to laugh.

**Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought he had cracked his ribs from not laughing.**

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen in the morning.**

" Dudley was probably in there," said Andromeda nastily even though she was disowned she was still a slytherin

**When Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty old rags swimming in grey water.**

**"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.**

**" Your new school uniform" she said.**

"What" they yelled.

" I believe I may have made a mistake" contemplated Dumbledore.

" A mistake, no really" asked Sirius harshly who was really annoyed because of what the Dursley did to Harry.

**"Oh" he said "I didn't realise it had to be so wet,"**

" Man that was stupid, I should have been born blonde," murmured Harry his face a slight pink colour.

" Why should you have been born blond?" asked Lucius.

" There's this muggle saying that blonds are stupid, brunettes are boring and red heads are fiery.

"Well the last bits right then, said hermione.

"Why" asked Lily who was a red head.

" Well the whole of the Weasley family are red headed and Ron, Ginny his sister, Percy his brother and his mum are very short tempered. She explained

**" Don't be stupid," snapped his Aunt. Im dyeing some of Dudley's old things grey for you, it'll look like everyone else's when im done.**

" Yeah sure it will," retorted Peter sarcastically before anyone else could.

**Harry seriously doubted that it would but thought best not argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think what he would look like on his first day at stonewall High – like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

"Petunia is so going to pay the next time I see her," snarled a furious Lily.

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon walked in both with wrinkled noses because of the smell of Harry's new uniform.**

"You wouldn't have to smell it if you bought the boy the required uniform" snapped McGonagall

Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smeltings stick witch he carried everywhere, on the table.

" He reminds me of Sirius when he was little wouldn't go anywhere with out his stuffed cuddly dog Woofie" chuckled bellatrix soon everyone was laughing except Sirius who was embarrassed.

**They heard the click of the letter – box and flop of letters on the doormat.**

**" Get the post, Dudley", said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

**"Make harry get it"**

**"Get the post Harry"**

**"Make Dudley get it"**

**"Poke him with your Smeltings Stick Dudley"**

" You better not you foul boy," snapped Alice

**Harry dodged the Smeltings stick and went to get the post. Three things lay on the mat: a post card from Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge who was on holiday on the Isle of White, a brown envelope what looked like a bill and a letter for Harry.**

"The letter from no one" said Remus causing everyone to look at him, nodding to Peter he continued.

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one had, ever, in his whole life had written to him. Who would? He had no friends**

" Bet it was awfully lonely," said Remus who knew what it was like to be alone and no one to talk to.

" It was actually" said Harry who knew about Remus's past

**No other relatives – he didn't belong to the library so he wouldn't get any rude notes telling him to bring a book back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake.**

**Mr H. Potter**

**The Cupboard under the Stairs**

**4 Private Drive**

**Little Whinging**

**Surrey**

**The envelope was thick and Heavy, made of yellow parchment,**

" Do muggles use parchment?" asked Peter who was pureblood.

" No they use paper that's made from wood." Said Lily.

**And the address was written in emerald green ink**

"Green again" huffed Sirius

**There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'.**

" Your Hogwarts letter" said Lucius to himself.

**" Hurry up boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing checking for letter bombs?" he chuckled at his own joke.**

" That was a joke" scoffed James in disgust.

**Harry went back into the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and postcard, sat down and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

" Why slowly Harry" asked Narcissa

" I was still a little shocked that I had my first letter," replied Harry

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust and flipped over the postcard.**

**" Marge is ill" he informed Petunia "ate a funny whelk…"**

**" Dad!" Said Dudley suddenly " dad Harry's got something."**

" He ratted you out the fat git" yelled Regglus

**Harry was at the point of unfolding his letter that was written on heavy parchment like the envelope when Uncle Vernon snatched it out of his hands.**

**" Hey that mine," said Harry trying to snatch it back.**

**" Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face from red to green quicker than traffic lights could.**

" What's a traffic light?" asked Bellatrix

" It's something that alerts drivers to stop get ready and to go when driving."

**And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the colour of greyish white porridge.**

Wrinkling her nose in disgust gave Narcissa the look that the golden trio knew to be on her face permanently in the future.

**"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read, but Uncle Vernon held it out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she would faint. She clutched her throat and made choking noises.**

" Yes she might die," cheered Snape who really didn't like her and yet again received a piercing glare from McGonagall.

**" Vernon! Oh my goodness – Vernon!"**

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to been ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings Stick.**

" Ha" laughed the group at the unfortunate or fortunate event that happened to Uncle Vernon.

**" I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

**" I want to read it" said Harry furiously, " as it' mine."**

**" Get out both of you" he croaked, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

**" I WANT MY LETTER!" Harry yelled**

" You tell him Harry," said Remus smiling

**" Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.**

**" OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruff of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them.**

" Ouch that had to hurt," winced James rubbing the back of his neck.

" It did," said Harry who looked at Snape, whose eyes were cast down, elbowing Hermione he pointed to Snape.

" Harry I think Snape's abused by his Father" said Hermione quietly so know one could here.

" I think so too" agreed Harry.

**Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight to who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won.**

" Dam" muttered Sirius " you lost"

" He was three times bigger than me at least." Said Harry defending himself.

**So harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach listen at the crack between the door and the floor.**

**" Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address – how could they possibly know where he sleeps" you don't think there watching the house?"**

" No just Dumbledore knows everything," said Sirius.

Chuckling Dumbledore said, " I don't know everything boys"

**" Watching – spying – might be following us" muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

**" But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back and tell them he won't be going"**

"You better not" snapped McGonagall angrily " Albus I will be taking that letter personally to him if you follow up with this and I wont come back with out a answer from him."

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen floor.**

**" No," he said finally. " No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get answer… yes that's best … we wont do anything …"**

**" But- "**

**" Im not having one of them in the house, Petunia!"**

" One of what " asked Lucius confused

" Wizards" Harry answered seeing all the purebloods become angry.

" Why don't they want a wizard in the family" asked Lucius angrily.

Before Harry could answer Snape did, " some muggles like the Dursleys don't like the idea of magical folk believing them not to be normal, to be freaks and they should belong to a carnival or circus" he explained.

" Snape does your father abuse you because you're a wizard" asked Hermione cautiously.

" Yes" that answer was quiet but spoke a thousand words. Standing up Hermione walked over to Snape and held him in her arms giving him a hug and to her surprise he hugged her back.

Sitting backing her regular spot she caught Professor McGonagall whisper into his ear and the Marauders showing guilty looks on their faces for the bullying they had done to him through the years.

" Peter how about you start reading again" suggested Bellatrix

**"Didn't we swear that when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he never done before.**

" Say he's not hungry"

" Go on a diet"

" Tell Dudley off"

" No to all of them" said Harry with a grin on his face.

**He visited Harry in his cupboard.**

" He fitted in," said Sirius in surprise making the others chuckle.

**" Where's my letter" asked Harry as soon as he squeezed through the door. " Whose been writing to me?"**

**This caused Sirius, James and the Slytherins to snigger at the use of squeeze.**

**" No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon, " I've burned it.**

" WHAT!" yelled the past Gryffindors, Slytherins and Minervra McGonagall?

" He had no right to burn it the foul evil man," screeched McGonagall.

**" It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, " it had my cupboard on it."**

" So that was your cupboard was it," asked Remus

Nodding his head he said, " well who's else's would be, anyway I slept and punished in it,"

**" SILENCE" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling.**

" Eek" squealed Narcissa.

**He took a couple of deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, it looked quite painful.**

**" Er … yes, Harry – about this cupboard. Your Aunt and I have been thinking … your really getting a bit big for it … we think it would be nice for you to move into Dudley's second bedroom"**

" SECOND BEDROOM" screamed Lily who was slowly turning a pink colour in the face. " He has two bedrooms while my Harry, my baby sleeps in a blasted cupboard. I hate the bitch."

" Miss Evans if you yell one more time im gonna have to place the silencing charm on you."

**" Why?" said Harry?**

**" Don't ask questions!" snapped his Uncle " take your stuff upstairs, now."**

"Bet Dudley doesn't like the idea of you having his second bedroom," said Lucius to Harry.

" You have no idea."

**The Dursley had four bedrooms the master, for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister Marge), one where Dudley slept and one where Dudley kept his toys that didn't fit in his first bedroom.**

" If they didn't spoil him too much he wouldn't need to bedrooms" said James with angry in his voice.

**It only took one trip upstairs to move everything Harry owned from the cupboard to his new room.**

**He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month old cine – camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next doors do; in the corner was Dudley's first ever television set, which he had put his foot through when his favourite programme had been cancelled; there was a large bird cage that had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air – rifle, which was up a shelf with the end bent because Dudley had sat on it.**

" That boy must be seriously over weight," said McGonagall clicking her tongue in her mouth while shaking her head.

**" Over shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they hadn't be touched.**

" That really annoys me about people like that, I come from a big family were we have to pass things down like clothing and such, having to share toys cant go out and buy new ones if they've been broken having to make do were people like them spoil their child rotten with luxury gifts." Said Ron with a bitter tone.

**" From down stairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother: " I don't want him in there … I need that room … make him get out…"**

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he would rather be in his cupboard with his letter than up here without it.**

" Hogwarts doesn't give up so easily," said Dumbledore with that mad twinkle in his eye.

" I soon discovered that" chuckled Harry.

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother and thrown his tortoise through the green house roof and he still didn't have his room back.**

" Wow that's shocking'" said Frank.

**Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall.**

" Why didn't you open the letter in the hallway?" asked Lily happier then before,

" The shock of it all I guess," he replied shrugging his shoulders.

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly. **

" Good, wait why exactly," asked Sirius who was smacked at the back of the head from Remus, hard.

**When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it.**

" He's scared," said Lucius smirking

**They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive –'"**

" Don't give up easily do you professor" said Peter happily

" No Mr Pettigrew I do not," replied Dumbledore.

" Sir what would have happened if they sent back a reply saying wouldn't be going" asked Harry.

" I would have sent someone down there probably the deputy head which in this case would be professor McGonagall to see why you wouldn't have been going." He said.

" Oh right," he said and then turned to Peter to carry on reading.

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind.**

"You go Prongslet" cheered Sirius " Prongslet I like it, from now on you will be called Prongslet," exclaimed Sirius placing his wand on both shoulders one at a time.

Oh no was the only thing Harry said causing James and Sirius to pout and the others to pity him.

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand. **

**"Go to your cupboard - I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley -- go - just go."**

" Are they in all the books asked Regglus"

" We think so but we haven't read them all," exclaimed Hermione

" When do you go to Hogwarts," asked Narcissa.

" A few more chapters I think," answered Harry.

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again. And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

" Oh god another Marauder," moaned McGonagall earning four smiles from the marauders themselves.

" Professor describe what a marauder is," said Hermione

" Well they prank a lot, get into lots of trouble, break rules, get into detention, and think everything's funny and not including Lupin mess about in class."

" Well Professor that describe Ron's older twin brothers perfectly." Said Hermione causing McGonagall to whimper and mutter another set of marauders.

" Are they in here" asked Sirius wanting to here more about the twin pranksters.

"Yes" said Ron who as soon as he said that a sad expression crossed his face.

" This plan better be good as a marauder prank son." Said James

" Er no" said Harry

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights. **

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first.**

" Brilliant, definitely worthy of a marauder, have you lost it saying no" said a bewildered James.

" There was just one fault with it," said Harry sheepishly

" What," asked Alice.

" You'll see" he replied.

**His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door -- Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat -- something alive! Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face. Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do.**

" That is definitely one big fault with it," said Lucius sarcastically gaining five glares in return.

**He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap.**

**Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink. **

"**I want – "he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes. Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

" Not the smartest of people is he" said Bellatrix.

" Nope" said Harry, Ron and Hermione together.

**"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up."**

"Wrong " Said Snape."

"**I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon." Said Aunt Petunia,**

" Wow she said something right for once" voiced Frank

**"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and I" said Uncle Vernon.**

" Thank god can you imagine" exclaimed Andromeda and shuddered in disgust.

**Trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.**

" Idiot" mumbled Sirius and James.

**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.**

" You were right Professor you don't give easy at all." Chuckled Ron.

" Of course we don't receive a reply back we send more out." He explained, " sooner or later they reply back."

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips' as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

" He's gotten paranoid," said Alice in disbelief, " what a prat"

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window.**

" This is getting ridiculous" exclaimed McGonagall "all my years of teaching I have never heard of this happening before."

**While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor. " **

Bloody hell" voiced Ron.

" Who shreds letters in a food processor, there posh why don't they have a paper shredder." Said Hermione the students agreeing with her.

**"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

" I was beginning to think that," explained Harry.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

" Why" asked Lucius, no post on Sundays was his reply.

**"No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today - " Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one.**

" Go Prongslet" chanted Sirius

" What's a bullet" asked one confused Bellatrix.

" It's the dangerous part of a gun, it's the part that can kill you." Explained Lily

**"Out! OUT!" Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall.**

" Ouch, how did that man ever be allowed to be a parent?" said a shocked Regglus.

**When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor. "That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his moustache at the same time.**

" He needs to relax," stated Remus.

**"I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!" He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.**

" His father hit him, never thought I hear that," said Narcissa amused.

" Surprise to me as well" said an also amused Harry.

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. "Shake'em off... shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.**

" You've drove him mad Harry," said Hermione with a smile and laughter in her brown eyes.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day.**

"Bet that killed poor little Dudleykins" cooed Bellatrix making her sound like herself when they first met her in the ministry of magic.

**By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

" The worlds biggest crisis" said McGonagall angrily.

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering...**

" About what" asked Regglus?

" I don remember really but if I had to guess I'd say that it had something to with letters mostly likely who was sending them."

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day.**

" Okay that's just wrong," mumbled a slightly green Peter Pettigrew.

" For once I agree with you," exclaimed a paler than usual Narcissa.

**'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'hundred of these at the front desk." She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address: Mr. H. Potter Room 17 Railview Hotel Cokeworth. Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

" I'd stare too if that was me" stated Lily.

**"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.**

" Git" spat Sirius.

"Agreeing with you Sirius" stated Remus.

**"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a ploughed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage. **

**"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?"**

" Yes Dudley he has"

" He's talking to the book again Remus" Peter said.

**Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared. It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled. "It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television." Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday - and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television - then tomorrow, Tuesday was Harry's eleventh birthday. Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun - last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.**

" Why do you need a pair of old socks and a coat hanger?" exclaimed Lucius.

" The coat hanger I don't know but the socks I gave to someone who absolutely loves them, come to think of it I think I only gave him one, he likes odd socks better," said Harry. Only Hermione and Ron know whom he was talking about. While the others looked completely confused.

" Who the hell are you on about?" said an annoyed Bellatrix believing she was been tricked.

" You'll meet him at the Dursleys in the second book."

" The second book it's called the Chamber of Secrets, has it opened once more?" asked Dumbledore,

" We will talk about the second book once we've finished this book, cause it'll get very confusing other wise, carry on Peter" said Hermione.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

" Too true your not," said McGonagall.

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought. "Found the perfect place!" he exclaimed. "Come on! Everyone out!". It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there. "Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!" A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them.**

" This doesn't sound good," muttered Andromeda to Regglus who nodded in agreement.

**I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!" It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house. The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms. Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shrivelled up. "Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.**

" I've never met such a cocky prat in my life" voiced a pissed of Alice

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

" It wouldn't cheer me up either if I was in that predicament too," said James giving him a smile.

" Who would it cheer up, well except Vernon bloody Dursley that is?" Said Snape receiving no answer he smirked.

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few mouldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

" That's not fair," cried Lily and without a warning tears cascaded down her face.

" Don't cry, it's not your fault and im fine now see" said Harry placing his hand on her shoulder and looking in to the identical emerald green eyes as his own.

" Your right you're here to change this" sniffed Lily wiping her nose with hankie McGonagall gave her.

" That's a first Hermione is usually the one always right." He said causing the others to laugh. When the laughing died down Peter carried on reading.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. The low rolls of thunder that started near midnight drowned Dudley's snores. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

" He will be closer than you thought" said Dumbledore causing Harry's face to frown and wonder how he could possibly know that.

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.**

" That's sad," whispered Andromeda sadly.

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

That caused the other's to laugh.

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that. And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

" Don't say that for goodness sake" gasped Narcissa who was holding tightly on to Lucius hand that was slowly losing circulation and was paining him by the look on his face.

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds... twenty ... ten... nine - maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him - three... two... One... **

**BOOM. **

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

" Who is it?" asked Sirius who along with all the others from the past except Peter and Dumbledore jumped.

" We will find out after lunch," said Dumbledore who had conjured up food to eat.

In the middle of eating a gold light appeared and a piece of parchment dropped on to Hermione's knee and read it quickly.

" Whose it from Hermione," asked Ron peeking over her shoulder trying to see whom it was.

" It's from our Professor McGonagall, she said that she's sending someone else here to read the books with us," said Hermione out loud. "The person will come when we've all finished eating."

"Who is it" said Peter

" If we all stop talking we will find out who it is sooner." Said McGonagall and carried on eating her meal.

* * *

please review, let me know who you want to come.

thanks.


	6. Keeper of the Keys

**I hope you like this, enjoy.

* * *

**

Keeper of the Keys

The room of requirement was full of chatter from the students and staff however the golden trio were sat in deep thought each thinking the same thing; who would be coming. Through out Dinner a game was played between the people from the past and the trio from the future.

" Who was the first person you meet how' s a student at Hogwarts" asked Lily egger to know more.

Harry replied by saying the first person he meet was blond and pale and would meet him quite a lot in the upcoming books,"

More questions were asked like what was your most nerve-racking year to all three of them, Harry admitting that his fourth was the most terrifying Hermione exclaiming that the second was the most fearful for her and Ron announcing that even though his second year had his worst fear seen more often then ever before, he found the third one daunting after some near death incidents.

When the game of questions had finished and they had eaten there meal a bright yellow light shone brightly in the room. When the light finally dimmed down a boy about 5ft 10 inches with light brown hair that reached the middle of his long neck, hazel eyes that if you looked closely could tell he had difficult life so far, he was also quite chubby around the stomach. He had a few bruises around his eyes and a split lip that hadn't yet healed from the on slaughter he had faced not to long ago.

" Neville" cried Hermione with a large grin etched on her face has she stood up to greet the boy with a hug.

" Hey man," said Harry and Ron who was also grinning at the sight of their friend.

" Hey guys," Neville, said who smiling over Hermione's shoulder who at the moment was hugging him.

" Let me introduce you to our fellow Gryffindor who I must say is a brave guy… Neville Longbottom." Exclaimed Ron who almost burst out laughing at the site of Franks face at the name Longbottom. " As you may of guest he is the only son of Frank Longbottom and his mother who is Alice Prewett." The mentioned couple blushed a deep shade of red.

" Now Neville he we have, James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, your father Frank Longbottom, your mother Alice Prewett, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black, Andromeda Black, Regglus Black, Bellatrix Black, Professor McGonagall and finally Albus Dumbledore," introduced Hermione.

Dumbledore was the only one to notice Neville paled at the mention of Snape and his muscles in his jaw tightened when Bellatrix was mentioned a thought was formed in his head that these three students had a dark or a troubled past between them.

" It's nice to meet you Neville" said Alice a little unsure how to act around him, she know this boy in front of her was her child however the way he looked at Frank and herself she felt a strange feeling a feeling that she couldn't describe and that scared her slightly.

" Hey can I call you mum or would you prefer Alice," he asked he too was unsure how to act after all in his time his parents had been insane for his life almost.

" Mum you can call me mum," replied Alice who was smiling shyly.

" And you can call me dad if you want to," said Frank who was nervous more than anything.

" Sure Mum Dad" he said smiling however his eyes betrayed his face and in them they saw sorrow but didn't know why.

" I hate to break this up, however I believe we should continue with the story," announced Dumbledore who secretly wanted to know more especially about this Neville.

" Ok so Neville we are now on chapter 5 the chapters before were about Harry's life with Dursley's Harry's only living relatives, he was neglected by them and wasn't given a proper life he dissevered. The first chapter was different as Harry wasn't mentioned till the very end, the date I believe was 31st of October 1981 if im not mistaken, that chapter was an inside life of the Dursleys." Explained Hermione.

" Ok, shall we start then?" asked Neville who was kind of interested to know a little more about the secret life of his friend and boy who lived Harry Potter.

" Of course we have had Lucius, Frank and Peter to read, who would like to go next?" asked Hermione looking at occupant in the room.

"I will," volunteered Ron who earned three raised eyebrows from Harry, Hermione and Neville.

" What?" demanded Ron who was annoyed at the look his friends were giving him?

" Nothing much really but you hate reading" exclaimed Neville who was slowly becoming more comfortable.

Pouting he took the book of the table stuck his tongue out at Neville to the amusement of the others and looked around to the others to see if they were ready to begin. With a nod from Dumbledore he began.

" This chapter is called **Keeper of the Keys.**"

" Isn't that hagrid?" asked Bellatrix who had become quite observe with the others in the room and had realised that Neville was kind of giving off a vibe between them.

" Yes he is" said the confident voice of Professor McGonagall.

**BOOM.**

**They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

**"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.**

" Harry your cousin is an idiot" pointed out Neville and Harry nodded in agreement.

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands.**

"A what?" asked Narcissa?

" It's a muggle weapon it usually kills people if you have a good aim." Explained Hermione.

**Now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

" I wondered how it got there," mumbled Lucius in Snape's ear. Snape nodded his in agreement he too wondered how it got there.

**There was a pause. Then -** **SMASH!** **The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

Now that's away to make an entrance don't you think Harry," asked Neville out loud.

" Yes but I must say the way Ron and myself made a brilliant and much better entrance in our second year, wouldn't you agree Ron," said Harry a smirk plastered to his face.

" I quite agree with you on that one Harry," he said his face also having the identical smirk as Harry's.

" What happened?" asked Sirius eagerly.

" You'll find out in the second book however all I can say is it's something the marauders have never done," explained Hermione and McGonagall moaned.

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway.**

"Hagrid" everyone said but really it wasn't much of a guess who else had…

**His face almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. **

" You mentioned that we would start meeting new people in this chapter," exclaimed **Peter who had actually remembered. **

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. ****He bent down, picked up the door and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

" Bet the Dursleys were petrified" said Regglus who was enjoying the stories.

**"Couldn't make a cup o' tea could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."**

Everyone laughed and a few typical Hagrid was mumbled under his or her breath.

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.** **"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.** **Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified behind Uncle Vernon.**

" How on earth did that boy fit behind his mother who is all flesh and bone?" exclaimed McGonagall in shock.

" Remember she was hiding behind Uncle Vernon and he's the size of a walrus," stated Harry.

**"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.** **Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.** **"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yeh dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes."**

" You wouldn't believe how many peoples told me that," Whispered Harry to Remus who he was sat beside him. Remus just raised his eyebrows.

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.** **"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

" Father like son" said Lucius, " If I have a son he'll be nothing like me," he finished. While everyone was looking at him they never even noticed the four smirk and shake their heads they all know Draco Malfoy was a mini Lucius.

**"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant.**

" Classic" awed Sirius gaining a few weird glances from the others.

**He reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.**

" Remind me never to piss off Hagrid," Hermione whispered to Ron.

" I will if you will," he replied.

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.** **"Anyway - Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursley's, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."**

" Oh Hagrid" sighed McGonagall shaking her head whishing he would have not mentioned that.

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing?**

" Green again, I'm not asking for much but does it always have to be green what about blue, yellow, even pink, anything but green," whined Sirius causing the others to chuckle.

" That was nice of Hagrid," said Alice who kept looking at Neville.

" I believe that it was most likely sent from all the staff at Hogwarts," explained Dumbledore.

Leaning over to whisper in Ron's ear he said, " well nearly all the staff I doubt Snape would of sent me a birthday cake,"

" Yeah, I can see it now, Dear Mr Potter I am sending you a birthday cake, what he would send you would be a months worth of Detention with Flitch."

" And 50 points off Gryffindor the up coming year, although looking back on it now he was a git but he was just pretending you know," said Harry.

"Yeah, I finally think he's okay and then he gets himself killed."

**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?**

"HARRY JAMES POTTER WERE ARE YOUR MANNERS!" screeched Lily angrily the one thing she had never forgotten was her manners.

A stunned Harry could say or do nothing as his friends just laughed at him and his blush on his cheeks reddening even more.

" I have one simple question and that is, why do all red headed woman shout unbelievably loud." still red in the face Harry said. He received no answer well if you call shrugging of shoulders and sharp glare from his mum no answer.

**The giant laughed whole-heartedly.** **"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.** **"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

" Oh honestly that man, what on earth will he do next," mumbled an agitated Professor McGonagall. Shifting even more on her seat she turned a looked at the marauders who were looking far too innocently for their own good. Wiggling and wiggling in her seat she became furious, earlier on the boys had hexed that particular chair to poke whoever sat there causing them to wiggle.

" POTTER & BLACK! what have you done yelled McGonagall.

" Well you see professor we hexed that chair so who ever sat in it would be poked repeatedly making it totally uncomfortable, I must admit not one of our better pranks but it's still quite amusing," explained

McGonagall who was now moving so much that she just stood up and strolled over to the boys, leaning down she whispered in their ears that if they ever think about pranking her or anyone in this room you will be using the use of your hands for awhile. Standing back at her regular height she noticed the culprits eyes were wide open and there was a little fear in them, turning back to face her chair with a quick wave the invisible poking had stopped and she sat back down and nodded to Ron to carry on reading.

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled crisp packets in it and he scoffed. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a couple of seconds later, there was a roaring fire. That filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warm sweep over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.**

While Peter was drooling over a hot bath Sirius turned to Snape and said, " You wouldn't know what a hot bath is would you Snape," and as soon as he finished his sentence his clothing ha completely changed from Gryffindor Hogwarts uniform to a tacky pink Goldilocks dress with matching coloured ribbons in his hair and the shoes were a dirty blue shoes that clashed with the dress horribly. Snape sat back smirking at his work his mother had always told him he had quite an imagination.

" And Mr Black before you say anything you will were that outfit till I see fit," exclaimed Dumbledore who was now gazing at a shocked Sirius whose mouth touched he ground in shock, turning his gaze on to the laughing four he smiled at Ron to continue.

**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy packet of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs and a bottle of some amber liquid which he took a swig from before starting to make tea.**

" Sausages," moaned Peter who was hit at the back of the head by Frank who had, had enough of Peters constant moaning.

" You know you're in the room of requirement you can just wish for it and it'll appear," said Neville who was a little peckish so whished for a packet of chocolate digestives. Over the moon Peter whished for something and he got what he wanted, cheese.

**Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage.** **Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little.** **Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."**

"Like Hagrid would give him some anyway, he's fat enough." Snarled Snape making Neville shudder just a little.

**The giant chuckled darkly.** **"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' any more, Dursley, don' worry."**

Everyone laughed at this.

**He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant.** **Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."** **The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.** **"Call me Hagrid," he said, "Everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."**

" Erm nope" Harry said with a hint of sarcasm making the Slytherins smirk.

"Er - no," said Harry.

**Hagrid looked shocked.** **"Sorry," Harry said quickly.**

" It wasn't your fault dear," said Alice who Harry was beginning to like.

**"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursley's, who shrank back into the shadows.**

" How, there wouldn't be enough room," said Andromeda who was definitely showing her Slytherin side.

**"It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learnt it all?"** **"All what?" asked Harry?** **"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"** **He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursley's were cowering against the wall.**

" Good they deserve everything they get," said Remus who had finally decided to talk after staying quiet for a while.

" Agree" said Sirius who was scowling at Snape as he was still wearing the dress.

**"Do you mean ter tell me," He growled at the Dursley's, "that this boy - this boy - knows nothin' abou' - about ANYTHING?"** **Harry thought this was going a bit far.** **He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.** **"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do maths and stuff.**

" If I knew what he was on about I would never had said that last thing," mumbled Harry to himself who decided reading his life in story wasn't cleaver just embarrassing.

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."** **"What world?"** **Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.** **"DURSLEY!" he bellowed.** **Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pasty, whispered something that sounded like 'Mimblewimble'.**

" Out of the whole English language he says Mimblewimble," announces McGonagall,

" Is that even a word," asked Ron.

" No Mr Weasley it isn't,"

" Er Professor you don't have to call me Mr Weasley it makes me feel like im in class or in trouble usually the second though," said Ron looking a bit embarrassed.

" Of course you'd you prefer me to call you Ron?" asked McGonagall. Ron nodded his head and McGonagall smiled at him and he gave a small smile back.

**Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.** **"But yeh must know about yer mum and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."** **"What? My - my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?"** **"Yeh don' know ... yeh don' know..." Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a non-expressional stare.**

" How did you through life not knowing what your parents were like," asked Neville who had known about his parents from a young age after the incident.

" It was hard to begin with but you know it became everyday life not asking questions and all they were kind of forbidden," said Harry looking down, to be honest he had found it difficult but thought they didn't tell him because they were mass murderers or something like that but not because they were magical.

**"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.** **Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.** **"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"**

" Huffing to himself Frank said " Like that's going to work," and nodded to Ron to keep reading.

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.** **"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**

" Did you understand what was going on there?" asked Regglus.

" No, I hadn't a clue what Hagrid was jabbering on about." Replied Harry who was surprised at how much the Slytherins were actually getting into this.

**"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.** **"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.** **"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid.**

" Did not need that mental image," said Ron scrunching up his face trying to rid the image of the Dursley stood there in a dressing gown with a large caldron to dunk there heads in.

**"Harry - yer a wizard."** **There was a silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.** **"I'm a what?"**

" Bit shocked," Snape said cheekily causing Neville's jaw to drop, as he had never seen Snape act this way, even though he was dead the potions master still scared him.

**"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

" Wow I never knew Hagrid thought that," exclaimed James who was shocked to hear what others thought of him always believing they would say a troublemaker but never a good wizard, he had always thought of himself as average not at the top and not at the bottom.

" Yes Mr Potter Lily and yourself are remarkable young magical folk however you seem to show your magical ability in other aspects" explained McGonagall.

**Harry reached out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to ****Mr. H. Potter,  
The Floor,  
Hut-on-the-Rock,  
The Sea. ****He pulled out the letter and read:** **HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY** **Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore** **(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc, Chr. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)** **Dear Mr. Potter,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.** **Yours sincerely,** **Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress.**

"Mine said that, so not much has changed," said James.

" Wonder if you're allowed to take a broom in your 1st year," wondered Sirius to Peter who was sat right beside him with James on the other.

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"** **"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled out an owl –**

" Is there anything he doesn't have in that coat?" asked Andromeda who was a little surprised at what he had in there also. She also felt a little sad about the poor owl that was in there.

**A roll of parchment, a long quill and a rather ruffled-looking real owl. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note which Harry could read upside down:** _**Dear Mr. Dumbledore,  
Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.  
Hagrid.**_ **Hagrid folded up the note, handed it to the owl, which held it in its beak, went to the door and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was normal as talking on the telephone.**

" Diagon Alley," said Remus.

" What," Said Lucius looking at him if he had grown a second head.

" Hagrid said he would be taking Harry to collect his stuff for school and where do you go to buy supplies well Diagon alley of course and I bet that is the next chapter," explained Remus.

" I bet you 15 galleons your wrong," said Lucius and Remus nodded his head to accept the bet.

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.** **"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.** **"He's not going," he said.** **Hagrid grunted.** **"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.** **"A what?" said Harry, interested?** **"A Muggle," said Hagrid. "It's what we call non-magic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

Everyone laughed, " That's an understatement of the year," snarled Snape who was the first to calm down.

**"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard, indeed!"**

" WHAT!" yelled McGonagall and Lily at the same time each as furious as the other?

"**You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a - a wizard?"** **"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was?**

" I cant believe her she actually detests me" murmured Lily quietly she know her sister was envious of her but hating her she an Petunia where like best friends all them years ago.

James heard what Lily had said and placed his hand in hers giving it a little squeeze.

Harry noticed the little interaction between his parents and smiled knowing if this turned out well then when he returns things might just be different.

**Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that - that school - and came home every holiday with her pockets loaded with frogspawn, turning teacups into rats.**

" Lily im shocked I always thought you were a little goody two shoes," said Alice teasingly and Lily stuck her tongue out childishly, both Harry and Neville smiled at this.

"**I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak!"**

" What," said Bellatrix who was slightly surprised at Lily's sister thoughts on the wizarding kind.

**She stopped to take a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed like she had been wanting to say all this for years. "Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be the same, just as strange, just as - as - abnormal – **

" That's the same girl who was with her at the park all them years ago?" said Snape to himself under his breath.

**And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

" Oh of course how foolish of us to get ourselves blown up we should have had more sense," spat James venomously who had, had enough of the Dursleys and their racist views on wizards.

**Harry had gone pale so pale that he could have been described as transparent.** **As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"** **"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping so angrily that the Dursley's scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**

" Yeah that's fun," said Harry sarcastically causing Hermione, Neville and Ron to snigger.

**But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.** **The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.** **"I never expected this," he said in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh - but someone's gotta - yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'"**

" Can you imagine it Harry everybody knowing at Hogwarts who you are and why you're famous but you not knowing at all," said Neville who was surprised he had been told the truth about his parents when he was seven and before that his gran would say that they had been hurt by bad wizards and a witch.

" Not really but I don't think it be pleasant," said Harry.

**He threw a mucky look at the Dursley's.** **"Well, its best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..."** **He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows -"** **"Who?"** **"Well - I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."** **"Why not?"** **"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still afraid. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went ... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was..."**

" Why he's dead though, how can you say you're scared of something that's dead," said Narcissa,

She had received a one-word answer, it didn't need any more words and she now knew what made people so scared of the dead; inferi.

**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.** **"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.** **"Nah - can't spell it. All right - Voldermort."** **Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this - this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too - some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches ... Terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway."**

" Scared now," mumbled Peter weakly.

" Is that true?" asked Dumbledore.

It was Hermione that answered his question.

" Yes and there is some future death eaters in this room and not all are whom you think.

The expression on there faces where a mixture between shock and confusion.

**"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head Boy an' Girl at Hogwarts in their day!"** **Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before ... probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side. Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em ... maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You were just a year old. He came ter yer house an' - an' -"**

" Great that's a scary story and a half isn't it." Said Lily who was freaked out more than she could remember.

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with the sound of a foghorn.** **"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find - anyway - You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then - an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing - he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then.**

" Why, why couldn't he kill a baby when he could kill older and more experienced wizards and witches?" asked Frank.

" You'll find out later on," said Harry and Ron carried on reading.

**But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh -took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even - but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry.** **No one ever lived after he decided to kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age - the McKinnon's, the Bones, the Prewetts - an' you was only a baby an' you lived."**

Gasps were heard through out the room and everyone looked at Alice however she was looking right back at Neville who had raised his head and his emotions were etched on to his face.

" Your alive but people would have said that death would have been better than how you live your life is like,"

" What do you mean," asked Alice uncertainly.

It was Harry who answered the question, " You know my parents are dead well when your dead you cant see them however Neville's parents are alive but you suffer something worse than death the both you and Frank," who looked at Neville silently asking him if he wanted him to continue. Neville nodded his head.

" You were tortured into insanity by the cruciatus curse." And then lowered his head.

Nobody spoke the only sound was Alice and Lily's sobs both professors had tears streaming down their cheeks while the others didn't speak just sat there in complete silence. Finally Neville stood up and engulfed Alice into a hug, she hung on to him like he was a lifeline.

10 minutes later Hermione spoke, " I know this is hard to hear and it gets even worse further on but where here to stop this from happening so you have to listen and not make the foolish mistakes some of you are going to take." She touched Ron's shoulder when everyone had settled down and he began to read.

**Something very painful was going on inside Harry's mind.** **As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before - and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life - a high, cold, cruel, laugh.**

" Oh my god," gasped Andromeda in shock. " This is getting way to spooky," and everybody else agreed with her.

**Hagrid was watching him sadly.** **"Took yer from the ruined House myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."** **"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon.**

" He's so sympathetic," said Sirius sarcastically with a slight growl in his voice.

**Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursley's were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.** **"Now you listen here, boy," he snarled. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured –**

" He never did that did he?" asked Ron who was thinking about setting his mother on them he had"

" No empty threats,"

**And as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it,**

" You know Harry your Uncles a lot like a deatheater just the opposite way round, deatheaters hate muggles and muggleborns while your Aunt and Uncle hate the wizarding world and the people who live in it," explained Hermione.

" You know I never thought of it that way," said Harry.

**And the world's better off without them in my opinion - asked for all they got, getting mixed up with all these wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end - "**

" How dare he," snarled Bellatrix who didn't like James or Lily but hated the Dursleys more than them.

" Wow Bella you're actually sticking up for James and Lily," said a surprised Sirius.

" I may hate Potter and Evans but at this moment hate them even more." She replied.

" Fair point," said Sirius simply.

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt up from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat.** **Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley - I'm warning you - one more word..."** **In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent**.

" I bet he's not silent for long," said Remus James nodding his head agreeing with Remus.

**"That's better," said Hagrid breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.** **Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.** **"But what happened to Vol- sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?"** **"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see ... he was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he go? Some say he died.**

" That's strange surly there would have been a body so people would know if he was dead unless he isn't dead but weak," contemplated Dumbledore.

" I wish you wouldn't say those things Albus," said McGonagall.

**Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who were on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back. Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on - I dunno what it was, no one does - but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."** **Hagrid looked at Harry with respect and warmth shinning in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake.** **A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard?**

" Wow how on earth did you think that?" asked Lucius.

" In the muggle world they portray Wizards and witches differently like witches always have a black cat and there skin is usually green or purple,"

" Green or purple skin, you muggles have strange ways," said Alice who was little more cheerful than before.

**If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?** **"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."** **To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled. "Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you were scared or angry?"** **Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it ... every odd thing that had ever happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry ... chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach...**

" You see if you think about these things you see things more clearly." Said Neville who was unsure if he was a wizard or not when he was younger.

**Dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back And the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

" I guess they know you can speak to snakes," said Neville and Harry nodded his head.

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

**"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**

" Unfortunately" muttered Harry.

**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight. "Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish - spell books and wands and -"**

**"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled -"**

" Go Hagrid" cheered the four marauders causing the rest to laugh at their antics.

**"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.**

" Uh oh," said Snape who know just how defensive Hagrid was when someone insulted Dumbledore if he heard.

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled over his head. "NEVER -" he bellowed, "- INSULT - ALBUS - DUMBLEDORE - IN - FRONT - OF - ME!"**

" So glad I wasn't in his shoes," whispered Neville to Harry.

" Ditto," he whispered back

**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley -**

**There was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal and next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain.**

" What happened," asked Regglus?

" You'll see," said Harry smiling at the memory.

**When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

**"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

Everyone laughed than Sirius said, " I hate bows," as he pulled on that was still fastened to his hair, causing everyone to laugh even more.

**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

**"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff - one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job -"**

**"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**

**"Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

" I often wondered why," said Frank.

" You'll find out in a different book. Said Ron.

**" Why were you expelled?" asked Harry.**

" Did he tell you," questioned Bellatrix.

" No" answered Harry.

**"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly.**

**"Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**

**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**

**"You can kip under that, he said. "Don't' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."**

" Lovely well at least it's not spiders," shuddered Narcissa.

" Well that's the end of the chapter," said Ron.

" You know I don't like this story can we read a different one. Asked Lily who was becoming slightly upset more and more she listened to.

"We could however this is least depressing one," said Hermione.

" What," said Andromeda in disbelief.

" Especially the last one, Deathly hallow that one will be a tearjerker alright," said Ron.

" Nice, shall we read the next chapter now? Questioned Snape.

" Sure," said Harry.

" May I read next?" asked McGonagall.

" Of course professor" said Ron handing the book over to her.

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**Please review.**

**Neville was chosen as he and Draco Malfoy had the most reviews wanting them to come in so i asked my mum and she said Neville so if there is a character you want review and when i add an other character the one with the most reviews will go in, however dont ask for people to come in who are dead. this is taken place the year after the war.**

**Also i would a****ppreciate it if you would let me know if my grammar has improved or not.**

**Thanks**


	7. Diagon Alley

Hey sorry for the late reply but here it is hope you like.**

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Diagon Alley

" Neville will there be anyone else coming from the future to read with us" asked Harry.

" Yes Professor McGonagall from our time said shell be sending people from the future here shell let us know when there coming," said Neville shrugging his shoulders.

Okay Professor it your turn to read" said Snape who was looking forward to meet another person from the future.

"Of course this chapter is called Diagon Alley"

" Harry's of to Diagon Alley," chanted Sirius over and over

" Mr Black if u don't stop talking ill put a silencing charm on you" she said. Sirius stopped talking rather quickly.

" Lucius you owe me 15 galleons," said Remus smugly. Grumbling Lucius handed the 15 galleons to Remus.

" Mr Black you no longer have to wear the outfit," said Dumbledore waving his wand and the creative dress and disappeared and Sirius let out a loud whoop.

"Professor if u may" said Hermione looking at Professor McGonagall.

**Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.**

**"That's strange why would you do that," asked Bellatrix confused. The more time Hermione spent in the past the more confident she felt, that she could stop the young woman in front of her turn in to the hideous monster that she will become.**

**"Just read on you'll find out" said Harry who was also beginning to feel like he could change Bellatrix.**

**"It was a dream he told himself firmly." **

**"That's sad you really had a bad life didn't you," said Lucius. " Can I ask why were all in here why there are just us and nobody else,"**

**" Technically you just did ask but it's mainly because you guys are important in the future so if we stop some of this happening then the future will be brighter." Said Ron.**

**"I dreamt a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."**

" You really did have very little hope didn't you," said Alice smiling sadly thinking about the torment that Harry had to face,"

" No, not really," said Harry smiling at Alice but then informed her that as soon as he reached Hogwarts his life turned around and he gained friends for life.

**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise. **

**"And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the cupboard door,"**

" I'm so going to kill Petunia when I see her, how dare she treat my son so bad so he thinks this," cried Lily angrily her face turning a bright red in anger.

" Whoah, Ron she's like your mum and sister." Said Neville.

**Harry thought, his heart sinking.**

"How can a heart sink?" asked Peter Confused.

" It cannot it's a metaphor," explained Hermione to the Human rodent. Peter raised his head in understanding.

**But he still hadn't opened his eyes. It had been such a good dream.**

**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

**"All right,' Harry mumbled, 'I'm getting up."**

" Bet you were surprised when you awoke to find it wasn't a dream," smiled Neville. It had been so long for him to have a reason to smile, and even though he was with Bellatrix and Snape the people he hated most in his life. He was smiling and enjoying himself. Before he left he was told by the headmistress that those two would be there as well as his parents, he also was told that if this was successful than he may have the opportunity to have a life were he grew up with his parents and not fear Snape.

" Yeah a little," said Harry.

**He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

" That's pretty cool, it flew all the way here to give Hagrid a newspaper. Exclaimed Sirius with a chuckle.

" Yes Mr Black the owls do that, they you see if you are put down for a newspaper they will give you it no matter where you are." Explained Professor McGonagall.

" The blasted owl is annoying if you ask me," scowled Ron thinking back to how many times it had awoken him from his sleep.

**Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him.**

" Bet that felt uncomfortable," winced Snape resting his hand on his stomach, but then wincing in pain afterwards. The only person to notice was Hermione but decided to speak to Snape quietly and separately later on.

**He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered to the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

" I really don't like owls, not one is nice so we always get bird of prey as ours," Informed Lucius.

" Not all owls are bad just some, Hedwig was nice," said Harry thinking about the friend he lost.

"Don't do that."

"Don't think that's going to work, do you?" questioned Frank.

**Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

" Yup definitely didn't work" chuckled Frank.

" No shit Longbottom," drawled Lucius rolling his eyes unimpressed.

" Shut up Lucius no one cares for your opinion," retorted Frank.

Before Lucius could reply Professor McGonagall butted in informing both boys if they did not stop there arguing then she would cast a silencing charm on both of them.

**"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl - " **

**" Can you be any more obvious Harry?" Laughed Ron who once again Harry hit the back of his head. " Harry stop hitting me on the back of the head," yelled ****Ron.**

**" Yeah Harry your killing the small amount of brain cells in his head," teased Hermione sticking her tongue out at the scowling Ron. **

**"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

"What?"

" Harry you really should have been born blonde," laughed Neville.

" Shut up wills you"

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."

**" That's easy said than done," he mumbled Harry. Who was still sulking from the others teasing.**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, mint humbugs,** **teabags ... finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

**"** That can't be good for you!" exclaimed Narcissa scrunching up her nose.

" What gave you that idea," said Sirius rolling his eyes.

Missing the sarcasm Narcissa gave her reason to why it was unhygienic.

"Erm Professor would you be so kind to read on," said Hermione diverting the arising argument between Narcissa and Sirius.

**"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.**

**"Knuts?"**

**"The little bronze ones."**

" Nice and simple to understand in the morning aye Potter," said Lucius, who unknown to them he was someone who had difficulty understanding things straight in the morning usually taking up to an hour to actually understand what is going on.

Raising his eyebrows, smiling to the side and shrugging his shoulders answered Lucius's question.

**Harry counted five little bronze coins and the owl held out its leg so he could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it.**

" 5 knuts, they've gone up in price there only 4 knuts here," said Frank.

**Then it flew out through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up and stretched.**

**"Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."**

" Woooo! Harry is off for his Hogwarts stuff," cheered James. Cheering along with him were the other three marauders.

"Lily what's a matter" asked Alice quietly while the marauders cheered.

" Before all this happened I dreamed I'd have a few children and watch them grow through there life, be there for there first steps, there first word, see them attend Hogwarts, take them to Diagon Alley, be at there graduation. Im not going to be able to do that and I never will," tears poured down Lily's face, as she spoke the louder she had gotten and everyone else had heard.

A tear rolled down Harry's cheek, standing up he walked on other to Lily and kneeling down whispered in her ear that everything hopefully should turn out for the good.

Sensing it was a good time to take the minds of everyone else's McGonagall read on.

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something, which made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.**

" Uh Oh what is it," asked Peter looking at Harry.

**"Um - Hagrid?"**

**"Mm" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his colossal boots.**

**" Why does Hagrid have such big shoes anyway," asked Peter.**

" Cause you idiot, he's a giant," said Snape. " You know them really big things,"

" Shut up Snape," Snapped Peter a supporting bright pink on each cheek.

"Boys?" warned McGonagall.

**"I haven't got any money- "**

" Of course you haven't at the moment you moron," said Regglus.

" I meant I didn't have money, as the Dursleys never gave me any and, who you calling a moron Reggie?" said Harry smirking with a cheeky glint in his emerald eyes.

**"And you heard Uncle Vernon last night - he won't pay for me to go to learn magic."**

"Stupid ugly fat monkey" mumbled James angrily under his breath. Looking over at the other three marauders seeing all them were angry and unhappy.

" What I don't understand is if James and Lily are dead why did Harry go to Lily's sister seeing as they don't get on, why not the other marauders or there parents," pointed out Bellatrix.

" Well the reason Harry didn't go to James parents is because their pure bloods and Dumbledore didn't want Harry in the wizarding world, plus unfortunately James mother died of an illness and his father was murdered in the first Great War. With Lily death eaters also murdered her parents. The marauders have a secret and twisted tail to it and all this will be revealed in the 3rd book, seeing as its mostly all about them" explained Ron who was receiving shocked looks from both Harry and Hermione.

" The third book is called The Prisoner of Azkaban, what has happened in the future to these boys if that's the title?" asked McGonagall.

" That will be revealed in tome to come," explained Neville. " Carry on professor,"

**"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think year parents didn't leave yeh anything?"**

" Well I think he did," said Narcissa who at the moment was rather bored and was checking her silver nails.

**"But if their house was destroyed -"**

" Don't muggles have banks?" questioned Lucius confused.

"Yeah but my mind at the moment wasn't focusing properly" explained Harry defending himself.

**"They didn't keep their gold in the house, boy!" **

**" Why d you call it gold not money?" Hermione asked the purebloods.**

" Don't know really always have," Said Sirius answering his godsons best friend.

**Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank Have a sausage,**

" Mmm sausage," moaned Peter, Remus hearing this moved away.

**"They're not bad cold - an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."**

" Eww cold sausages," said Alice who was against eating meat.

"Wizards have _banks?"_

"God Harry you really do take after your father" laughed Frank.

" Thanks, I've been told that before," said Harry smiling widely.

**"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."**

" How many banks do muggles have?" asked Alice

" Erm I don't know really theres lots, Barclays, Northern West, theres the Royal bank of Scotland, Natwest, theres loads more as well" said Hermione

" Why is there more than one bank who needs more than one bank," asked Andromeda,"

" Some people prefer to go to a different bank,"

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

" WHAT, you dropped a sausage," yelled Peter in shock, wishing up a plate of cocktail sausages for himself.

Everyone just laughed at Peter who at that precise moment was wishing up a fizzy drink to accompany his snack.

" Peter, calm down man its only a sausage," reassured a chuckling Frank, who didn't know how much he had insulted the smallest marauder.

" J...j...just a s...s...sausage, are you mad sausages are the food of the god, they should be worshiped"

" Err Professor McGonagall why don't you read on," suggested Regglus who was rather freaked out from Peter.

**"Goblins?"**

" I don't like Goblins me, I remember a story told by my mother when I was little it gave me nightmares for weeks," said Narcissa with a far away look in her eyes. Gripping her hand tighter Lucius kissed the side of her head. Narcissa rested her head on his shoulder. The interaction form the future mr and mrs Malfoy was shocking to the trio and Neville, all four ad met Lucius and Narcissa, they were both cold and seemed like they had no love inside them. Except for Draco.

**"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it,"**

Hermione, Ron and Harry looked each other with half a smile. But by instinct Hermione rubbed her leg, with a sudden look of sadness and pain etched on her face. " But when things get dangerous and there is loads at stake, people have to do drastic matters, just like robbing something from Gringotts." Said Ron thinking back to only a few weeks back, were the burns and scars on his legs and lower torso were.

"I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe -- 'cept maybe Hogwarts."

" That depends on what your hiding and from who. And then whose trying to steal it and to top it, what cause there stealing it for." Said Neville looking at the trio who were just grinning like a Cheshire cat.

" You know right I don't know about the rest of you but I really want to know whet there on about, so far I've taken on, something stolen from Gringotts, death, pathetic muggles, He Who Must Not Be Named and five different characters. I want to know more now." Said Bellatrix frustrated.

" Were not going to tell you anything, when we get to certain things we may explain as long as it doesn't show you what's gonna happen in future books." Harry told them.

**"As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you gettin' things from Gringotts -- knows he can trust me, see."**

" Do you Sir?" asked Remus.

" Do I what Mr Lupin, get Hagrid to do important stuff?" Remus nodded his head. "Yes I do, as you all may know Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts at a young age and I kept him on at Hogwarts as the grounds keeper, after this Hagrid is willing to do everything and anything."

" Professor what did Hagrid do to cause him to get expelled," asked Lily curiously, before Dumbledore could answer, Hermione butted in.  
"That will be found out in the 2nd book," everyone else groaned all wanting to know why.

**"Got everythin'? Come on, then"**

" Woo were finally off to Diagon Alley," cheered James.

**Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

**"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.**

**"Flew," said Hagrid.**

"How the hell did Hagrid fly?" spluttered Sirius shocked. "He's about 10ft tall or somet like that and weighs like a ton."

" I really don't know Mr Black, I really don't know," said McGonagall equally as shocked.

"**Flew?"**

**"Yeah -- but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."**

**They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

" You and me both Harry, you and me both," said James to the fictional Harry.

" Err, Remus James is talking to the book," said Sirius slightly scared.

" I always knew Potter was mad in the head," whispered Snape to Bellatrix who smiled a twisted smile, the ones Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville had seen on more than few occasions.

**Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid; giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"**

**"Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.**

" Why does he have a pink umbrella?" said a confused Snape.

" I dunno maybe he wants to get in touch with his feminine side," suggested Alice gaining a grin from Lily, Hermione and Professor McGonagall.

" Ha ha very funny," Snape snidely said.

**"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.**

" Dragons" said Hermione, Ron and Harry.

" What?" asked Lucius?

" Dragons"

" I heard you first time but why dragons,"

" Never heard the rumours that Dragons live in the walls of Gringotts," said Hermione. Lucius's wide-eyed expression told her everything she needs to know, no he hadn't heard of the rumours.

**"Spells -- enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults."**

" That's an understatement," said Ron catching a glimpse of Hermione looking at her legs once again. Squeezing her hand tightly telling her everything was going to be ok, with out speaking, the squeeze of the hand was all she need, to know.

**And then yeh must find yer was – Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London See. Deep under the Underground. Yeh 'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."**

" Hey, you never know you could always fly out," said Harry making both Ron and Hermione laugh seeing as they were the only ones that knew.

**Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.**

**"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.**

**"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.**

**"Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, 0 'course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."**

" If you ask me, the ministry is a complete waste of time seeing as they can do absolutely nothing right." Said Harry venomously anger clear in his voice.

" What's that all about?" asks Lily.

" You'll find out later," said Hermione also angry.

**"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"**

" Not what there supposed to do, I can say that" spat Harry.

**Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."**

**"Why?"**

**"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."**

" That's true to be honest, amazing how many times my mum and dad have gone, I wish I had an extra pair of hands, or wish I could wave a magic wand and it would all be clean and finished," said Hermione. Lily nodded her head agreeing with Hermione as her own parents do say that.

**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.**

**Passers-by stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station.**

**Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"**

" Oh Hagrid, he just can't try a little to not be so obvious, even though he is part giant." Said McGonagall shaking her head.

" Professor how can he not draw attention to himself, he's twice as big of them maybe three times bigger then them," said Snape.

**"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"**

**"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."**

" What? Why would anyone want a dragon?" inquired Lucius.

" I for the first time agree with Lucy, why would you want a dragon? There dangerous, fire breathing carnivorous brutes," proclaimed Sirius. Also he was slightly disgusted with himself because in one day he had agreed with both Snape and Lucius.

" Well my older brother works with dragons," said Ron.

" Seriously, what's he called?"

" Charlie?" he answered.

" Young Charlie Weasley well, that doesn't surprise me at all," chuckled Dumbledore, as he once before met the young 4 year old, who was telling him an enlightening tale about a dragon that couldn't breath fire.

**"You'd like one?"**

**"Wanted one ever since I was a kid — here we go."**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.**

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.**

" Lovely, absolutely lovely," said Frank in disgust the mental image of a canary yellow circus tent.

**"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

**"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."**

**Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before** **and read:**

"Wonder if the uniform has changed since," said Lucius to Snape, who shrugged his shoulders in response.

" You'll find out soon," said Narcissa who had overheard Lucius's and Snape's chat

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY Uniform**

**First year students will require:**

**- Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**- One plain pointed hat (black) for day ware**

**- One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

**- One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags.**

" No uniform is the same," said Lucius.

Just then Peter who had been quiet for a while piped up. " Why do Men have to wear Witches hats, shouldn't there be Wizard hats,"

" Well if im not mistaken there is no wizard hats only witches hats because of the muggle tales told," said Hermione.

" Correct my dear girl. Muggle tales describe witches as evil or old lonely women, with a long pointed nose with warts and boils, hair all stringy and dirty, a cackle that supposed to scare young children. They are supposed to ride brooms and have a black cat as a pet; the clothes are long black dress and a black pointed hat. There are stories of witches but I cant name one of my head." Explained Dumbledore

" Hanzel and Gretyl,"

" Wizard of Oz"

" Macbeth"

" Winnie the witch"

" Rapunzel"

" And they are just some," said Hermione.

" Cool," said Sirius intrigued

**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**

**The Standard book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk**

" Miranda Goshawk left school two years ago, she was a Ravenclaw," said Alice.

**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot**

" That hasn't changed, surly there must have been somethin' happen since now," said Regglus " well apart from the whole He Who Not Be Named thing,"

" Not really,"

**Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**

" Waffling by name waffling by nature," said Frank and everyone from present and future agreed:? apart from the Professors.

**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration _by Emeric Switch_**

" Good on you Minnie, sticking with same thing,"

" Mr Black if you call me Minnie one more time you will be having detention with Flitch," she warned.

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore_**

" Nope that's new and I don't remember been at school with her," announced James.

" Neither do I," said Narcissa.

" Phyllida Spore if I remember was a Slytherin prefect and had a talent for the art of Herbology. She left four years before you arrived six for Mr Black." Informed Dumbledore.

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander_**

" Ok if I was him I'd hex my mother for naming me Newt," declared Bellatrix in disgust.

" Professor do you know of him?" Asked Regglus.

" No I must say I never heard of him. Minervra?"

" Not what I an recall,"

" Newt Scamander comes up next year he is in Hufflepuff, not liked by many." Said Neville.

**Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger_**

" Arsenius, Good all Arsenius. I never thought he'd right a potion book," said Lucius frowning, remembering the disaster he had when he was forced to partner up with him in one class.

**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Quentin Trimble_**

" There teaching first years about the dark forces, why it must be worse than we thought." Said Remus looking at the four who had seemed to enter a world of their own, looking straight ahead but at nothing. A sombre expression over coming their faces. Nudging James in the side he nodded over to the four.

" Erm are you three ok," he asked attentively.

" Yeah were fine, carry on," said Ron who was thinking of the death of his dear brother: Fred. Each had been thinking of something different. Harry was thinking of Sirius and the dramatic way he died. Neville was thinking of the first time he met Bellatrix Lestrange and what she did to his mother and father. Hermione was thinking of the horrific pain she went through with the cruciatus curse cast by one Bellatrix Lestrange.

**Other Equipment**

**_1 wand_**

**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**

**1 set glass or crystal phial**

**1 telescope**

**1 set brass scales**

**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad**

" Don't get a toad, toads are awful," said Lily.

" I had a toad, thanks it's called Trevor,"

" Oh well I erm … mean … erm"

" It's fine Lily he wasn't that good but when you find it difficult to make friends then a toad is a good thing to have," explained Neville giving her a big smile, which she returned shyly.

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWM BROOMSTICKS**

" That's a rule that needs to be changed," said James. Sirius, Remus, Frank, Snape, Lucius, Regglus, Neville, Ron and Harry all agreed with him.

**"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud."**

" Yeah but you gotta be able to get into Diagon Alley first." Said Andromeda who had been silent processing everything that had been said in the book and what the four teenagers had said.

**"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.**

**Harry had never been to London before. **

" You hadn't missed much really, it was like any other city it's just the capital." Said Neville who had been with his grandmother once, before he went to Hogwarts.

**Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way.**

"That's not a good sign," said Peter who had wished up a plate of cookies.

**He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.**

" He's worse than a pregnant woman with the complaining," said Bellatrix remembering her mother when she was pregnant with her youngest sister Narcissa.

**"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said, as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily;** **all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed bookshops,****and music stores, hamburger bars, and cinemas.**

" What's cinema?" asked Lucius. " A cinema is a place were you can go and watch new released films and is a popular place for muggle teenagers to go and be with mates," said Harry

**But nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand.**

" That's because you're in the muggle part of London," said James.

" Ok im officially scared now, he's talking to a book again" exclaimed Sirius shifting slightly away from him.

**This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them?**

" Erm yeah there is actually, its in Gringotts," said James, causing Sirius to move further away. " For god sake Potter stop talking to the book, it cant hear you," yelled Lucius was on his last wit,"

"If I wanna talk to a book then I'll talk to a book" James argued back.

" Even your friend seems spooked out," spat Lucius

Standing up James hexed Lucius with his wand, the results were shocking, Lucius sat there, his hair was gone and his robes were in shreds.

"Why you …" snarled Lucius standing up he himself hexed James in return, he having different effects. James stood there with out a mouth, it had been removed magically of cause and his hands were stuck together. Then out of know where both boys were flown into chairs and were unable to move out of them. Both wands were taken off them and were in Professor McGonagall's hand. Waving her wand everything was fixed

"Neither will insult anyone else, and your wands I'll keep confiscated till I see fit." Said McGonagall furiously.

**Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?**

" This is embarrassing," moaned Harry.

**Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up?**

**If Harry hadn't known the Dursleys had no sense of humour, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable. Harry couldn't help trusting him.**

" Why?" asked Remus?

" Not sure really," he said frowning.

**"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."**

"Why is it famous? Asked Lily confused.

" It's famous as for many students it's the first way they ever enter Diagon alley," explained Dumbledore.

" Oh?" said Lily turning back to McGonagall.

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big bookshop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it.**

" Muggle protection hiding charm," muttered Andromeda to herself.

**Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut.**

" Hahaa I love your imagination Prongslet, a true marauder" said Sirius while laughing.

" So I've been told," said Harry smiling back at him.

**The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"**

**"****Quite well known there isn't he Hagrid," said Bellatrix as she always known the half giant liked a drink.**

**" ****Yes, he has always liked a few drinks did Hagrid" said McGonagall thinking back to a Christmas party 10 years ago.**

**"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

**"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this — can this be —?"**

" This quickly becomes annoying," grumbled Harry as now that he had taken down Voldermort the Press as he called them because of his muggle upbringing became more annoying than his Hogwarts days.

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.**

**"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter… what an honour."**

" I'd love to be well known could you imagine the publicity you'd get all that attention," said Narcissa in a dreamy voice.

" You never know Narcissa, you may get that wish," said Alice thinking of the future Narcissa would most likely have.

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

**"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."**

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

" I would feel so awkward having to do that, I'd just want to run away," said Snape who had never been a fan of big crowds and attention.

**"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."**

**"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."**

**"Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."**

**"Delighted, Mr. Potter just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."**

" Diggle, im sure I've heard that name somewhere before," said Neville thoughtfully, not noticing the dark look that the golden trio had. However Bellatrix and Andromeda did.

**"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."**

**"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

" Everybody meet a new character who will appear in this book a lot, this person is a staff member at Hogwarts for Neville, Hermione, Ron and I," said Harry knowing who they were about to meet.

**"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."**

"Isn't there a Quirrell in your year Regglus," asked Sirius.

" Yeah, pathetic at Potions, DADA, Transfiguration, Herbology, only subject he can do is Charms"

"Seriously, well that explains why he was a rubbish teacher," said Hermione.

**P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."**

**"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

**"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it.**

" Defence against the dark art, he's shit at it, we did werewolves and he passed out clean cause he was scared!" exclaimed Regglus shocked!

**"N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

" I don't understand, why he got a job if he's so bad at DADA,"

" Desperate times, you see the jobs jinxed we have had 7 different DADA teachers since we have been there Quirrell was new when we go him.

" It was jinxed," asked Dumbledore surprised after having the same DADA teacher at Hogwarts for 12 years so far.

" Yeah we've had good and we've had bad." Said Neville.

" We had about 3 or 4 death eaters as one that was interesting, we've had one with problems," said Ron

" My favourite one was definitely our 3rd year one then my 4th year one and then 2nd year one, weren't fond on the rest," said Hermione thinking of all the professors she had had over her years at Hogwarts

" Mione the only reason you like the 3rd one best was because he was different with students treated then better, was a good teacher, has become a friend and loads of girls fancied him including you," said Harry cheekily laughing when he saw her blush.

" Shut up Harry," she scowled

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

**"Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."**

**Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Harry.**

**"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you were famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."**

Everyone laughed at this, apart from the teachers who just smiled. With the commotion McGonagall finally allowed James and Lucius to speak and move.

**Is he always that nervous?"**

**"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience… They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his subject.**

" Oh im looking forward to reading about Quirrell's lesson," said James who was relieved to speak once more.

" Yeah Prongs could be quite interesting I must say," agreed Peter who smiled at James like he was god. Harry noticed and looked away anger boiling in his belly.

**"Now, where's me umbrella?"**

**" Why does he have an umbrella, I doubt they make one big enough to stop the rain don't you," Frank asked Regglus who nodded his head in agreement.**

**Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trashcan.**

**"Three up… two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.**

**The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.**

" I loved watching that open when I first saw it, It was the first time I truly believed I was a witch," said Hermione reminiscing all those years ago.

**"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."**

**He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.**

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.**

" I got a new cauldron yesterday come to think of it, it was a copper one," said Snape.

" I think I've had the record of cauldrons," laughed Neville causing Ron, Hermione and Harry to laugh as well. " I really hate Potions, come to think of it I hated the teacher as well, and he scared the daylights out of me."

**"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."**

**Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, and the people doing they're shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"**

" WHAT! That's really expensive just for that, its half the price here." Said Bellatrix who had been thinking about the glances that Neville had been sending her, they had been sneaky and she doubted anyone else had noticed them by her.

**A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever – "**

" Nimbus 2000 wicked," said James excitedly loving the new name of the broom.

" Bet it would be good to whip Gryffindors arse." Boasted Snape. Receiving scowls from the six Gryffindors.

**There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…**

**"Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was —**

" With what a dragon, a unicorn, a clown, a big black scary monster that will bite your head off," said Sirius becoming more and more keen with what he was saying?

**"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him.**

" Oh a goblin," said Sirius down heartedly.

**The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

**Enter, stranger, but take heed**

**Of what awaits the sin of greed,**

**For those who take, but do not earn,**

**Must pay most dearly in their turn.**

**So if you seek beneath our floors**

**A treasure that was never yours,**

**Thief, you have been warned, beware**

**Of finding more than treasure there.**

" Well some people don't always do as they're told," said Neville smirking a smirk worthy of a Malfoy and his eyes glancing over to the golden trio who just acted like they hadn't a clue what Neville as on about.

" What you mean?" questioned Bellatrix confused.

" Well you'll find out later on," he said sneakily with a grin plastered to his chubby face.

**"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.**

**A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.**

**"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."**

**"You have his key, sir?"**

" Goblins scare me," muttered Peter fidgeting with his hands thinking back to his first meeting with the goblins in his first year at Hogwarts.

" Goblins will one day be scared of me," said Bellatrix who had always wanted the vile creatures to fear her seeing as they are so smug.

" Oh yeah they are scared of her alright, the insane laugh; sickly sweet voice that torments ones mind, the birds nest she calls hair, the casting of her famous spell the unforgivable cruciatus curse that brings anguish to those facing it," said Neville darkly to Ron, who rested his hand on Neville's shoulder, he too feeling angry but near as enough to Neville's feeling of never ending heartache.

**"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

**"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

**"That seems to be in order."**

" I really dislike Goblins, they should be burned, I've decided," stated Peter. The other three marauders just shook their heads with a grin on their face.

" Peter you cannot burn a whole group of creatures no matter who they are," informed Lucius.

" That's what death eaters do, try to get rid of an entire race, they attempt to destroy every muggle and muggle born. So all that is left are the pure bloods and half bloods then next they will rid the half bloods till purebloods are the last in existent," spat Harry.

**"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."**

" It cant be" mumbled Dumbledore under his breath. Everyone else heard and that peaked his or her interest.

" Yes headmaster it is what you think it is," said Hermione getting a confused look from Neville but a smirk from Harry and Ron.

**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

**"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"**

**Griphook was yet another goblin.**

" Never ever trust a goblin, they'll only help you if there is anything in it for them."

Spat Harry remembering that goblin who promised to help them, but greedily all he wanted was the Gryffindor Sword.

**Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook towards one of the doors leading off the hall.**

**"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.**

**"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously.**

" That's unfair, do we get to find out?" asked Regglus hopefully.

Smiling at the youthfulness of the young boy in front of her knowing in only a couple of years time he would be a fully formed deatheater who dies saving his beloved house elf. " Yes you do," she said smiling at him gaining a smile in return.

**"Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."**

" Must be very important, if its worth more than Hagrid's job," aid Lucius thoughtfully.

**Griphook held open the door for them. Harry, who had expected to see more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off.**

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.**

" Yeah I don't like that I always feel like im going to go off the rails and fall to my death," shivered Lily thinking about it. She didn't like roller coasters at a theme park either because of that precise thing.

Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but was too late. They plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

"**I never know," Harry called to hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"**

" Well a stalagmite is a rock that grows up from the ground where as stalactites they grow down from the roof top, if you remember it like I do," said Lily

" The G in stalagmite can stand for ground and the C from Stalactite can stand for ceiling," finished Hermione. Making Lily smile at this, as it was what she was going to say.

**Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.**  
**"All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's - it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep?**

" Hah all I've cost them is food they feed me with, and that is a small amount."

**And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.**

" Small! Hahaa Harry don't be daft," said Ron who knew his friend was better off than him.

Blushing slightly Harry scowled at Ron. Who smiled cheekily back just managing to dodge the blow of the head.

**Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

**"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe fer yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen, now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

**" It cant go any slower can it, cause my mother once told him to go slower and he said it could only go one speed," said Lucius.**

**"One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine and Harry leant over the side to try and see what was down at the dark bottom but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

**"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

" You can only get into certain vaults in Gringotts with help from the goblins." Said Harry thinking back to only a few months ago. Again he noticed Hermione and Ron rubbing their burned legs.

**"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

**"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.**

**"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.**

" I really don't like those Goblins," said Andromeda. Even though she was a grown woman and a mother she still hated those Goblins from a childhood experience. At the tender age of 5 she had gotten lost and ended up in Knockturn alley. She discovered a Goblin who had suffered by a dark spell and he tried to attack her. Running away from him she managed to find her mother. She never left her mothers sight when she went to Diagon Alley as a child, and kept a firm grip on Nymphdora.

" Me either, it was like he was trying to get me to do it," said Harry scowling.

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least — but at first he thought it was empty.**

" WHAT!" yelled James, Sirius and Lucius each with out knowing leaned forward like Harry did in the book.

**Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.**

" Is that it?" asked Alice slightly puzzled.

" Is that it, that's is the most important thing in the entire book," said Hermione seeing the cogs turning in Lily's, Remus's, Snape's head at what she said.

**Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

**"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.**

"You'd think him being so large he'd not suffer from sickness of a cart." Chuckled Frank

" Ha, im surprised he can fit in one…"

" My Malfoy I'd stop right there if you are smart," Warned Professor McGonagall.

**One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life — more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

" What are pounds," asked Narcissa

"It's muggle money the currency in the Britain," Lily informed her.

" Harry when do we get to meet someone knew," asked Alice intrigued and wanting to know more about her sons friends life.

" Well you'll meet our most favourite person in the world in a minute." Said Harry. Neville, Ron and Hermione smirked a Malfoy smirk knowing who was about to come up.

"**Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.**

" Awwww, bless you. I was nervous to enter my first wizard shop and I was with my parents and you did it on your own, so brave." Said Lily making him blush and the trio to laugh at him. Earning them a scowl from him.

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

**"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."**

" Your favourite person in the world is here." Smirked Sirius he knowing he was been sarcastic.

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes.**

" A pale and pointed face, ok not a good start." Exclaimed James.

**Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

**"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"**

**"Yes," said Harry.**

**"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy.**

" He sounds familiar but I don't know were," said Peter thinking carefully.

" I agree with Peter surprisingly he does sound familiar," said Bellatrix who was in disgust that she agreed with the smallest marauder.

**He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."**

" He sounds like a defiant Slytherin to me," said Frank like he had a bad smell under his nose.

" I have an idea who that boy could be related to but I'll tell you, when im more sure," said McGonagall.

**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

**"Have _you _got your own broom?" the boy went on.**

**"No," said Harry.**

**"Play Quidditch at all?"**

**"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

" This boy, is a really irritating young man and I haven't met him, and you four go to school with him." Said Alice sympathising with them.

**I do — Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"**

" He sounds a lot like a boy I went to school with, believed he was better than every other person in the whole school. If he mentions the house his family has been in most through out history then I'll know.

"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.

**"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been — imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"**

" Yes, I was right I believe. Would he by any chance be a Malfoy?" asked McGonagall.

" Yes," said the four of them at once.

" What, that's my future son," Exclaimed Lucius in shock.

" Yup, the infamous Draco Lucius Malfoy." Exclaimed Neville.

Lucius paled, the thought of been a dad terrified him. " Who is the mother?" he asked

" You'll have to wait and find out." Said Ron

**Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

**"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

**"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."**

**"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"**

" Professor how did you know he was a Malfoy?" Asked Snape.

" Well I went to school with young mister Malfoy's father here. He was exactly like him.

" And he is exactly like his father. They call him the mini Lucius, and that name is right almost." Said Harry.

**"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He liked the boy less and less every second.**

" Me too Harry me too," said James earning himself a hard slap at the back of his head.

" Er Harry I've just thought Malfoy might actually be coming, he has many reasons to." Said Neville

" Good point, you might actually get to meet dear Draco Malfoy." Said Harry who now had very little against the boy.

**Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of _savage _— lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."**

" That boy deserves a spanking, he is so rude" said Lily angrily glaring at Lucius.

**"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.**

**"_Do _you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"**

**"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

**"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all.**

**"But they were _our _kind, weren't they?"**

" That last comment doesn't surprise me at all with a Malfoy," Spat James.

" What's that supposed to mean Potter?" Snarled Lucius

" Well nobody actually likes you most fear you, the some use you and the rest think you're pathetic, everyone with a little brain knows if we were all pure-blood we'd all be dead soon as we'd be producing scribes. Pure-bloods actually have the dirtiest blood, because every pure-blood or half blood if they have pure-blood parent are related because we are inbred my Aunts cousins Husbands Sister was a Malfoy which means im related to you."

Lucius was speechless, the Slytherins were speech less, the marauders were speech less, and everyone was speechless. Nobody would expect him to say anything like that.

Hermione was the first to gain her speech and said," You wouldn't get half of out of Lucius in the future; he'd have either killed you, tortured you or butted in and insulted you.

**They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."**

**"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same; they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"**

" Yeah I do actually because the smartest people I know of are in fact muggleborns," said Harry talking to the book. The saying father like son ran through everyone's head.

**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

" I don't blame you there mate," laughed Frank.

**"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

**Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).**

**"What's up?" said Hagrid.**

**"Nothing," Harry lied.**

**They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"**

Sirius, and James jaw dropped " you don't know what Quidditch is?"

" Er not then but now I can't get enough," said Harry defending himself.

" That's an understatement," mumbled Hermione causing the girls in the group to laugh.

**"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!"**

**"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

**"— And he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in —"**

**"Yer not _from _a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh _were _— he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles — look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister?"**

" Yeah a skinny, cow faced, bitch who abuses children," spat Snape.

**"So what _is _Quidditch?"**

" Well Quidditch is …" James never got to start his explanation on Quidditch as Lily told him to not even bother the book will explain.

**"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like soccer in the Muggle world — everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain the rules."**

" And before you start, Quidditch is explained later on so there is no need to explain." Said Hermione before any of the boys could explain.

**"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"**

**"School houses. There are four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"**

**"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.**

" Hahaa, Harry you in Hufflepuff you'd more likely be a Slytherin than a Hufflepuff." Said Hermione causing James to freak out.

**Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."**

**"Vol-, sorry —You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"**

**"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.**

" I wish people would stop saying years and years ago, that just makes me seem really old."

" Why does it," asked Regglus.

" Because Professor McGonagall went to school with Tom Riddle Aka He who must not be named." Explained Hermione.

" Really, you went to school with he who must not be named." Said Narcissa in shock surprised at what she heard."

" Oh yes Professor McGonagall was a student with your parents, Tom Riddle and Hagrid, I remember teaching them all," said Dumbledore thinking back to the days he was a teacher and not a headmaster.

**They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from _Curses and Counter curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) _by Professor Vindictus Viridian.**

" I just love Flourish and Blotts, it's my favourite place in Diagon Alley. Said Hermione happily.

" We know," said Harry and Ron simultaneously.

**"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."**

**"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."**

**Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages.**

" That place really does smell bad." Said Bellatrix wrinkling her nose in disgust.

" Tell me about it," said James who also hated the smell of the Apothecary.

**Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

**Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.**

**"Just yer wand left — A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."**

" Awwww, that's sweet he wants to get you a present." Said Lily having to remember to thank Hagrid even though he wouldn't know why she was to thanking him.

" Yeah one of my greatest presents I ever got," thought Harry the emotions of losing Hedwig still hurt him.

**Harry felt himself go red.**

**"You don't have to —"**

**"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at— an' I don' like cats,**

" Cats are really good, we have an amazing cat of Hermione's. Strange thing is he hates rats and loves large black dogs." Said Harry his eyes glancing over to Sirius. Whose eyes widened.

**"They make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."**

" Awwww he got you an owl." Said Alice who herself had an owl.

" Yeah she was the greatest,"

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.**

**"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."**

**A magic wand… this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.**

" I was looking forward to getting my first wand." Said Lily remembering the experience on that day.

" I know when you go in to that shop and you get the wand its like im a wizard. Of course you know you are but you feel it when you get your wand" said Frank.

**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

" That's a really good description of it," said Neville thinking to what it looked like until the deatheaters took him away and the windows got bordered up.

" Yeah, looks like that now so I guess old Ollivander hasn't re-decorated anytime soon," said Remus with a grin.

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling.**

" I bet they weren't neat when you had finished Harry" said Snape with a smirk knowing he pretty much destroyed the shop.

" erm … Nope," he said with an I didn't mean to do it grin.

**For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

" Well you see Harry there is magic in that shop and not just from the wands but a magic that makes the wands magical." Said Dumbledore intriguing all the children.

**"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.**

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

**"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.**

**"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question**

" He actually does scare me, Ollivander," said Alice shivering a little.

" He is really weird isn't he," said Lucius voicing his opinion.

**"You have your mother's eyes"**

" Your gonna have to get used to that saying I get it whether I go." Said Harry laughing.

" Yeah but it usually goes, you look like your father but you have your mothers eyes." Said Hermione causing Harry to smirk.

" True very true" said Sirius smirking at James and Lily who smiled at Harry

**It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."**

" How many people do you think he has sold a wand to and he remembers them all," said Regglus in shock he had worked his way through two this year. He was clumsy and he fell an awful lot causing him to break his wand

" He was right you no, it is really good for charms," she said happily as her Owl results proved that.

**Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

" A bit?" said Lucius in shock he believed him to be extremely creepy.

**Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."**

" Yeah that's right," said James smugly then laughed. McGonagall agreed but kept it to herself.

**Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose-to-nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.**

**"And that's where…"**

**Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

" Doesn't he know about personal space," snarled Bellatrix.

**"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"**

**He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

**"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

**"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.**

**"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

**"Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.**

**"But you don't _use _them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.**

" Hahaa so that's why his umbrella was magical," said Narcissa putting the pieces together.

" Yup," said Ron.

**"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.**

**"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"**

"Er — well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.

**"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head.**

" What is the point to all that," asked Bellatrix never understanding the ways he measured people like that.

" Even I do not know that Miss Black," said Dumbledore even he not understanding that.

**As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."**

**Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

" What type of wand do you have Harry," asked Regglus.

" You'll find out soon,"  
" Awwww that's not fair can't you tell us now" wined Regglus.

" Nope," he said smugly causing Regglus to sulk.

"**That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."**

**Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.**

**"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —"**

**Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.**

**"No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."**

**Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.**

**"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."**

**Harry took the wand. He felt sudden warmth in his fingers.**

" That's the one, that's the one!" squealed Lily happily knowing her son did manage to find the wand he would have.

" Yeah he found it," said Neville who was laughing at her attitude from them 6 words.

Lily blushed.

**He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.**

**Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"**

" Why is it curious," asked both Neville and Narcissa.

Neither Harry, Ron nor Hermione answered they just nodded to Professor McGonagall. However both McGonagall and Dumbledore wanted to know why it was curious.

**He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious… curious…"**

**"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"**

**Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.**

**"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar."**

No one moved, no one said a word everyone was silent.

" Well this is adding up more and more and it is only chapter 6" said Dumbledore who had used magic to summoned up a piece of paper to write all the information he had gained.

**Harry swallowed.**

**"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."**

" How can He Who Must Not Be Named have done great things?" asked James in bewilderment.

" He did. The stuff he did though was awful like torture, but magic he used was powerful so powerful that ordinary wizards and witches couldn't do." Explained Harry

Dumbledore nodded with the words he spoke.

Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

**The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap.**

" Ways to get odd looks, walk down the street with a snowy owl in a cage and a half size giant. " said Remus with his hand in a fist pretending it was a microphone. The trio noticed his playful attitude and their moods saddened as their good friend had died in a world were he was judged and criticised for having a wife and son.

**Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.**

**"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.**

**He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

**You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.**

**Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life — and yet — he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.**

**"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander… but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry — I mean, the night my parents died."**

**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.**

**"Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts; you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, and that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts — I did — still do, 'smatter of fact."**

" Yeah I did even though no one has had 7 years at hogwarts like me," he laughed.

" You could say that again " chuckled Neville who knew he had difficult years at hogwarts.

" Technically man it's 6 years," said Ron

Harry smiled and agreed.

**Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.**

**"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursley's send me a letter with yer owl; she'll know where to find me…. See yeh soon, Harry."**

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.**

" Ok that's the end of the chapter and it's been a really interesting one." Said Professor McGonagall.

Just then a light so bright shone and a figure began to form.

" Who is it?" asked Lily.

The four stood there looking.

Standing there in front of them was …

* * *

Whatever person you want to enter the story next vote vote vote. Remember those who have died in all the books carn't enter it but anyone else can apart from McGonagall as she is sending them.  
Lottie xx


	8. Platform 9 and 3 Quarters

**Hey everyone I know it's been like ages since I last updated this story however I've been busy on some other stories. After reading some of my reviews a few have asked if I have a beta reader, well in fact I do not, however if anyone is interested in being the beta for this story or any of my other stories. Let me know. If I get a beta reader I'll put it up on my profile page. Things I'll be needing help on is Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar.**

**So anyway I have introduced a new character to the mix. Also just to sum up why some of the characters look a little beaten up is because the war has only ended a few weeks ago so they haven't fully recovered. **

**Hope you like it and I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters and books. It's just for fans to enjoy. **

* * *

**Platform Nine and Three Quarters**

… Draco Lucius Malfoy, his eyebrows were knotted and his transparent dead grey eyes were narrow and hidden by the blonde locks of his fringe. Skin was paler than normal and tight across his bones. His lips were thin, and teethwere white. Standing at an impressive 6ft 2 inches his long black robes clung to defined but slim figure. Hiding the essence of pure darkness, a bandage peering from his left sleeve. The once perfect hands were scared. His skin showed lines of torture andan age much greater than his birth. Tense and straight he scowled at the trio.

Taking a deep breath Hermione stood and smiled at him surprisingly had one returned back to her.

"Everybody I would like to introduce you to Draco Lucius Malfoy. The only son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy," She said then laughed as she saw the shocked faces of the future mother and father.

" That's the boy who was mentioned in the book in the last chapter," said Sirius shocked.

"Yes," turning to Malfoy she asked him if he recognised anyone.

" Well Granger, there is my mum and dad, Snape, Bellatrix, Wormtail, James Potter, Lupin and Longbottoms dad. That's about it though."

" Well the ones you didn't recognise are Sirius Black, Regulus Black, Alice Prewett, Andromeda Black. But I'm not really surprised you didn't recognise them you have never met Regulus or Alice and Sirius doesn't look anything like how you remember him to look like and Andromeda you are forbidden to see."

" Why is he forbidden to see me?" she asked confused.

" Your disowned and we don't associate with those who are disposed of in our family, even if they were the smart ones."

" WHAT!" Yelled Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione all in shock never expecting the Slytherin prince to say that.

" It's true though isn't it, I was brought up to believe mud… muggleborns were in superior to purebloods and that their blood is dirty, but on a battle field were blood is mixed you can't see which is the Pure, Muggle or half bloods blood because it all looks the same. And my family have finally learnt that."

The four stood in shock and the people from the past were also intrigued. Dumbledore however was the most.

" Err Draco, what you mean it has taken your family a long time to realise that the blood is all the same."

" To put it this way - my blood line is two of the strongest; Black and Malfoy and im sure you have met my mothers Auntie. Well following her beliefs and her sister, and husbands. As well as my fathers mother and father. They strongly believed that blood of a pure blood was the strongest. My father believing the same and was prejudiced to muggles and half bloods and with a group of others people their aim was too extinct this set of magical people.

In the war my mother and father realised they were wrong all along. And trust me it takes something very big to make my father believe he is wrong."

" Wow, so are we liked or dislike in the wizarding world?" Asked Lucius.

" Your whole family is disliked, if you have not disowned then you are hated as you're seen as cruel and foul people who don't deserve to live." Said Harry.

Many faces paled at the thought of this.

" But anyway enough about me for the moment weren't supposed to be reading a book?" Said Draco raising an eyebrow.

" Yeah, so who would like to read?" asked Professor McGonagall.

" Can I read please?" asked Lily.

" Of cause my dear." Said McGonagall handing the book over to her.

" This next chapter is called **Platform Nine and Three Quarters**"

" This means were off to Hogwarts now," said Snape who had finally decided to speak.

" Isn't this were you met the Weasleys, Neville, Hermione and then me again," Asked Draco.

" Yeah, well this will be fun,"

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. ****True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him — in fact, they didn't speak to him at all.**

" What the precious boy who lived was mistreated," Said Draco totally flabbergasted.

Everyone in the room nodded their heads. As Draco sat there mouth wide open.

**Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. **

**Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.**

" I bet it is," said Sirius who would have died if he had no one to talk too.

**Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic.**

" Awwww that is really sweet Harry," cooed Alice. This made Harry blush and Draco laugh at him.

**His schoolbooks were very interesting.**

" Looks like Prongslet is going to be a big nerd," said Sirius down heartedly hoping he would be a prankster.

" Hahaa, the nerd is Granger the only reason those two are passing is because of her," smirked Draco as they glared at him.

" I take it you don't get on with them Draco," stated Bellatrix. They all nodded their heads.

**He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice.**

" Eww I hate mice," squirmed Narcissa who beginning to show herself as a prissy little daddy's girl who hated many things.

**Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.**

" You were looking forward to going then." Said Andromeda.

**On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day**

"Typical Potter thing always leave stuff to the last minute." Snorted Remus.

" I don't always leave things till last minute do I,"

"Yeah" said both Sirius and Peter. James pouted.

**So he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.**

" Over the top much," snickered Bellatrix.

**"Er — Uncle Vernon?"**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

**"Er — I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts."**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

**Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"**

**"Grunt."**

**Harry supposed that meant yes.**

" Is he a descendant of a cave man maybe" scoffed Snape.

" Could be, he eats like one," chuckled Harry.

**"Thank you."**

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

**"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"**

" Magic carpets how do muggles know about magic carpets," asked Andromeda surprised.

" Aladdin maybe," said Hermione. Harry knew what she meant. " I love Aladdin and Jasmine and of cause the Genie." She chuckled.

" What is Aladdin?" asked Lucius confused.

" It's a muggle Disney movie." Explained Harry

**Harry didn't say anything.**

**"Where is this school, anyway?"**

" Scotland!" cried Sirius.

" Sirius calm down, you blow a blood vessel," snapped Lily.

**"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.**

**"I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.**

**His aunt and uncle stared.**

" My sister hated me and tried to get rid of all the thoughts of anything magical." Said Lily down heartedly.

**"Platform what?"**

**"Nine and three-quarters."**

**"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."**

" Not to the eyes of the muggles," said Peter.

The others just rolled their eyes.

**"It's on my ticket."**

**"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross-. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

**"Why are you going to London?' Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly."**

" Does Dudley still have the pigs tail," asked Narcissa.

" Pigs tail? Why would your cousin have a pigs tail?" asked Malfoy.

" Hagrid gave him a pigs tail when Vernon insulted Dumbledore in front of him," explained Regulus.

**Harry woke up at five o'clock the next morning**

" Wow, ' a first time for everything then," sniggered Ron who was hit at the back of the head by Harry who scowled at him. Ron responded by sticking out his tongue.

**And was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizards' robes he'd just change on the train.**

**He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up.**

" Were you that anxious to get to Hogwarts." Asked Lucius raising an eyebrow at Harry.

" Yeah but I was looking forward to leaving the Dursleys for 8 to 9 months the most really."

**Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.**

**They reached King's Cross Station at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him.**

" That's rather generous of him don't you think," scowled Sirius. " There going to do something; I'm sure of it,"

" For once I think Black is right," agreed Draco.

" Why do you call me Black I don't even think I know you?" Sirius asked Draco

" I've never known anything else really I heard it at home."

" It'll be easy to understand when we read the third book." Said Hermione.

" Why do you say we'll find out in the third book for us,"

" Because that book is mostly the start of everything where things start to make shapes for the future."

" Is that about our third year,"

" Yeah each book Draco describes a different year," elucidated Hermione.

" Well I want to read the 7th book instead I want to know what happened between you three," said Draco staring at them like he was trying to look inside there mind.

" For once I agree with Malfoy, I want to read that book,"

" Well Nev you and Malfoy will just have to wait till we've read these books,"

**Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

**"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"**

" What a foul man, of course he'd fine this amusing," snarled Bellatrix clenching and unclenching her fists. " I hate those who find it amusing that people get in situations like that."

Draco and Neville stared at her in surprise, as she was a lot like Vernon in present time.

**He was quite right. There was a huge big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle nothing at all.**

**"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleysdrive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do?**

" I hate your sister Lily, I never liked her," snarled Snape a look the five recognised.

In a strong and thick voice Lily said two words that made the room quiet " What sister?"

" Neville are you alright?" Asked Andromeda noticing the boy had gone stiff and pale.

" Er yeah I – I'm all right," he stuttered his gaze going back and forth between Snape and Andromeda.

**A little uncertain she turned back to Lily as she carried on reading.**

**He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.**

" Why?"

" Because owls are wild and aren't pets its very rare to see a owl outside of a zoo."

**He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one.**

" Your not having much look is you?"

" James, I'm really getting worried about you your talking to a book that can't hear you." Said a scared Sirius shifting further away from his friend.

**In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.**

" What an awful man, and im surprised you didn't get someone from Hogwarts show how to get there I did," Lily pointed out.

" I think it is because Auntie Petunia was there and she was supposed to get me on I assume." Shrugged Harry messing with his fringe.

" Figures" muttered Lily venomously.

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into DiagonAlley. He wondered if he should get out his wand andstarts tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.**

" That is rather a smart thing to do and shows me harry that you have a good memory and pay close attention to the smallest pieces of detail. That will make you remarkably good at Transfiguration, Potions actually it will help in all your lessons." McGonagall informed sternly.

" Same old McGonagall it seems," muttered Draco under his breath to Neville who smirked a Slytherin worthy smirk.

**At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"- Packed with Muggles, of course -"**

" Oh no, I have a bad feeling about this," moaned Ron.

Harry laughed knowing what Ron was thinking.

**Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair.**

" Who is she?"

" It's Mrs Weasley an amazing cook and Ron's mum," said Harry slapping Ron on the back.

" And the four boys their referring to are young William, Charlie, Percy and you?" asked Dumbledore.

" Not Bill and Charlie they graduated years ago, It Percy, Fred, George and Me," said Ron, his voice saddening as he said Fred.

" There is six of you bloody hell," said Sirius in shock.

" Nope seven Gin hasn't started yet.

All the women in the room winced at the thought of having 7 kids.

**Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him - and they had an _owl_.**

**Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

**"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.**

**"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also redheaded.**

" I take it that's Gin,"

" Yeah, Ginny,"

**Who was holding her hand, "Mum, can't I go . . ."**

**"You're not old enough, Ginny,**

" How old was she there?" Snape asked Ron.

" She was 10 she is a year younger than me," answered Ron. Smiling at the Potions Professor to be.

**All right, Percy, you go first."**

" What year is he in?" asked Narcissa who was intrigued with the family.

" 5th or 6th I think. Not sure which though,"

**What looked like the oldest boy marched forward toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it - but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.**

**"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.**

**"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell us apart?"**

**"Sorry, George, dear."**

**"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.**

Everyone in the room laughed, apart from Professor McGonagall who weakly moaned more pranksters, mini marauders.

" No, Professor not mini marauders there better than the marauders." Said Harry but taking one look at her face he inwardly winced thinking maybe that wasn't the best thing to say to her. Glancing to wear the Marauders sat he knew he shouldn't have said that as the four boys stood there, their mouths wide open.

" They were actually really funny and their products came in great use when you didn't fancy been in the lesson anymore," remarked Draco. Making the boys from the present to laugh and Hermione to roll their eyes.

" I'll be sure to tell George you liked the products," Ron informed him.

" What products," Regulus asked wanting some if they could get him out of transfiguration.

" You'll find out in the 5th book,"

" Oh this is a different book you sure its not in the 3rd one," teased Remus making everyone laugh.

**His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone - but how had he done it?**

" Magic," whispered James spookily. The Slytherins rolled their eyes.

" I say that all the time at home, I was asked by my next door neighbours little girl how babies got out of their mummies tummy and I was like oh shit how then I just blurted out magic, her eyes went wide and went wow." Giggled Hermione. Thinking back to that day in the summer after her 5th year in her back garden.

**Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier - he was almost there - and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anymore.**

**There was nothing else for it.**

**"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.**

**"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts?" Ron's new, too."**

" I'm dreading my description none have been pleasant yet," complained Ron gloomily. Looking at Lily to get it over and done with.

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons.**

" Come on," he wined impatiently. Hermione decided to inform everyone in the room that Ron was very impatient. Receiving a scowl from the said person.

**He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.**

" My nose wasn't that big was it?" cried Ron touching his nose self-consciously.

" Nope, not really." Asserted Hermione touching his arm in a soothing way.

**Yes," said Harry. "The thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to -"**

**"How to get on the platform?" she said kindly and Harry nodded.**

Frank wondered out loud " How did she do that?"

" After having 7 kids my mum learned to guess things and were often right,"

**"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it. That's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."**

**"Er - okay" said Harry.**

**He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble - leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run - the barrier was coming nearer and nearer - he wouldn't be able to stop - the cart was out of control - he was a foot away - he closed his eyes ready for the crash but It didn't come . . .**

" You're on Platform nine and three quarters for the first time," squealed Lily giddily.

" Yeah," was all that Harry could say?

**He kept on running . . . he opened his eyes.**

" Dun Dun Duh," Sung Alice doing what was known as jazz hands.

**A scarlet engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been with the words _Platform Nine and Three-Quarters _on it. He had done it.**

" It's quite a site I thought when I first got on there," sighed Hermione.

" I always thought Hogwarts was going to be work work work watch some Quidditch get detention and mess things up, Wow was I wrong," mused Ron out loud causing those from the present to laugh.

" That is what Hogwarts is about," exclaimed a confused Bellatrix.

" Yeah for people like Neville and I but if you're called Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, it is so much more,"

" I'd ask how is it but I'm expecting you to say you'll find out in one of the books," remarked Remus.

" Actually you'll find out in all the books each year something different happened each year that nearly killed us somehow. And it was always us." Harry and Hermione nodded their heads in agreement.

**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.**

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats.**

" Some things don't change," sighed Narcissa knowing many students do fight for seats.

**Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."**

**"Oh, _Neville_," he heard the old woman sigh.**

The five just laughed slapping Neville on the shoulder she he wiped away fake tears.

" That is the best way to get me introduced to the book," laughed Neville remembering the amount of times he had lost Trevor.

**A small crowd surrounded a boy with dreadlocks.**

**"Give as a look, Lee, go on."**

**The boy lifted the lid off a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.**

" Oh god no," cried Ron his face going pale.

" What? What is it?" asked Lily quickly.

**Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to life it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.**

" I did that," Peter squeaked.

**"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.**

**"Yes, please," Harry, panted.**

**'Oi, Fred! C'mere and help!"**

" Fred and George sound amazing," chuckled Sirius.

" There a legacy. Two of the best pranksters Hogwarts ever had." Said Hermione smiling even though the smile showed a small sign of sadness.

**With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

**"Thanks," said Harry, pushing away his sweaty hair out of his eyes.**

**"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.**

" Oh no, I have a really bad feeling about this one," muttered Lucius to Snape.

" You and me both"

**"Blimey," said the other twin, "Are you -?"**

**"He _is_," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.**

**"What?" said Harry?**

**"_Harry Potter_," chorused the twins.**

**"Oh, him" said Harry.**

" Do they do that all the time," Regulus asked Ron. Ron nodded he was really beginning to think this was a bad idea the recent death of Fred was still wound in his heart.

**"I mean yes, I am."**

**The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red, then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

" One minute you love your scar the next you hate it,"

**"Fred? George? Are you there?"**

**"Coming, Mum."**

**With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.**

**Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

" She seems a really good mum, I'd love to have her as my mum," admired Andromeda.

" Same," agreed Sirius.

**"Ron, you've got something on your nose."**

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.**

**"_Mum_- geroff." He wriggled free.**

**"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got something on his nose?" said one of the twins.**

" My mum used to do that to me, it was really embarrassing especially when she does it front of your friends and in public," pointed out Alice.

**"Shut up," said Ron.**

" Like that would work," chuckled Harry knowing the twins loved to pick on Ron.

" I know," agreed Ron,

**"Where's Percy?" said their mother.**

**"He's coming now."**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight.**

**He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny red-and-gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.**

" Oh your brother made prefect, that's amazing,"

" Yeah it is, just Percy never knows when to shut up though,"

**"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"**

" I don't want to sound rude man but he seems a bit up himself," Lucius sent an apologetic look to Ron. He however wasn't offended and just laughed saying he was but he was his brother so he had to except it.

**"Oh, are you a _prefect_, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."**

" Really, I'm surprised," Bellatrix mentioned out loud her voice certainly showing a hint of surprise.

**"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once -"**

**"Or twice -"**

**"A minute -"**

**"All summer -"**

**"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.**

" Hahaa, I'm loving your brothers man," Sirius barked his laugh brought a sad look to the golden trio however just as normal it was only Dumbledore who noticed it.

**"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.**

**"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."**

" My mum always says that, it really becomes annoying after the 1st time." Complained James.

" Tell me about it, my first year I sent a massive letter saying what house I was in and everything and one at the end of the week saying who I liked who I disliked and all my lessons, after the first week I just couldn't be bothered anymore," Frank said.

" Are there any teachers you don't like?"

**" Yes," Neville yelled and blushed bright red " My er… ex Potions teacher"**

" Same I guess, we always hated each other and I mean he actually despised me, but he's a hero a very mysterious man, you'll find a lot out about him," explained Harry his eyes ever so slightly looking over at Snape.

**She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

**"Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or"**

**"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."**

**"Great idea though, thanks, Mum."**

McGonagall just groaned and placed her head in her hands repeating what she said earlier.

" You know Professor McGonagall in their 7th year you see them doing a prank on the DADA teacher andyou give them 10 house points each." Chuckled Hermione as she saw her face slide to the ground. She couldn't even say her words clearly she just spluttered. The voices of the marauders complaints were growing louder till Hermione decided to silence them all. Earning her a few expected glares.

**"It's not funny. And look after Ron."**

**"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."**

" Nice nickname," laughed Draco deciding to remember it for future references.

" Shut up ferret,"

" I've just realised something, is he the ferret you referenced to earlier," questioned Narcissa narrowing her eyes. Draco scowled at them but the trio and Neville just laughed.

**"Shut up," said Ron again.**

**He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

" Just had a growth spurt then mate," asked Frank having an idea he was right anyway.

" Yeah probably," shrugged Ron.

**"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"**

**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

**"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"**

**"Who?"**

**"_Harry Potter!_"**

**Harry heard the little girl's voice.**

**"Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, oh please..."**

" Awwww," cooed the Slytherins teasing him as he turned Red.

" Oh yeah just reminded me, Weaslette might be coming later, so might George." Malfoy brought up the look on his face showed he had just remembered.

" Oh cool, I'm going to have to remember that, she'll be so embarrassed." Laughed Ron, who hadn't forgotten the bat bogey hex she had sent his way a few months ago.

**"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"**

**"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."**

Ron scoffed and shook his head, and Harry just smirked, Fred wasn't the smartest of the twins.

**"Poor _dear_ - no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."**

**"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"**

" The room was silent and they all looked at Harry, Harry sat that and suddenly laughed, saying typical Fred through his laughter.

**Their mother suddenly became very stern.**

" Uh oh, Molly was always known for having a short fuse," Dumbledore told them shaking his head.

**"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."**

" Did he?" Snape asked Harry.

" No, Fred was many things but he was a good guy, always wanted to make people laugh and he did," the thoughts of Fred in the shop flow to Harry's mind.

**"All right, keep your hair on."**

**A whistle sounded.**

**"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.**

" Hmmm, I didn't think she'd be one to cry to be honest," mused Neville, Draco nodded his head in agreement remembering the time in Diagon Alley when she stood up to his father.

**"Don't Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."**

**"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."**

Everyone just laughed somewhere shaking their heads and the marauders laughs were silent as they were still under the silencing charm.

**"George!"**

**"Only joking, Mum."**

**The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.**

" Awwww," cooed Alice tilting her head to the side.

" She's really sweet" Lily said and Alice agreed.

" She was sweet, but now she isn't, she's a typical redhead." Hermione smiled.

**Harry watched the girl andher mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to - but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.**

" Most definitely, nothing could be worse than that"

" I dunno, my fifth year wasn't good, neither was my 2nd year I didn't have a 7th year. Many of my school years were bad you could say a near death experience every year really." Harry repeated from earlier but this time he smirked as everyone else looked at him like he had grown another head. Everyone part from Draco, Neville, Hermione and Ron.

**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.**

**"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."**

**Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.**

" Just typical," mumbled Ron scratching the spot on his nose were the black once was.

"Hey, Ron."

**The twins were back.**

**"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."**

Narcissa whimpered and Ron turned slightly pale, Narcissa suddenly understood why he went Uh Oh.

" Weasley if your terrified of spiders how the hell did you survive our 2nd year." Asked a frazzled Draco Malfoy.

" I don't have a clue,"

**"Right," mumbled Ron.**

**"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."**

**"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

" Bye," said Bellatrix before she slapped her head thinking how embarrassing? Beside her she heard Lucius and Snape snigger.

" If you four promise to keep the volume down to a minimum I'll take of the charm." The four boys nodded and Hermione removed the spell.

**"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.**

" Smooth man smooth," smirked Regulus, Ron just grinned and shrugged his shoulders in his direction.

**Harry nodded.**

**"Oh - well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know . . ."**

**He pointed at Harry's forehead.**

" Well Ron this shows how much you haven't changed," Hermione told him giggling as he scowled at her.

**Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.**

**"So that' where You-Know-Who -"**

**"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."**

**"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.**

" Im sorry man," laughed Ron as Harry swung his arm over Ron's shoulder and put him in a headlock everyone else just laughed.

**"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

**"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.**

**"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who foundRon as interesting as Ron found him.**

" I'm a very interesting person," Ron puffed out his chest causing the girls in the room to laugh at him. Harry, Neville and Draco hit him at the back of the head.

**"Er - yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."**

" We have a few of them in my family, there all disowned though," pondered Draco for a minute then nodded his head. Everyone missed the glances Hermione and Lily exchanged.

**"So you must know loads of magic already."**

" Nope, especially Wingardium Leviosa," Ron winked in Hermione's direction. Hermione just laughed.

**"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

**"Horrible - well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

**"Five," said Ron. For some reason he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left. Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred andGeorge mess around a lot, but they still get really good grades and everyone thinks they're really funny.**

" Wow now that's a tough act to follow," Lucius sympathised he didn't know what it was like to compete against his brothers as he was an only child.

**Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."**

The golden Trio exchanged angered looks their faces showing evil, but I they looked closely into their eyes it showed a little remorse. Both Draco and Neville exchanged looks of shock and their faces showed sadness.

**Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep.**

" He did nowt but bloody sleep," cursed Ron.

**"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly every wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being a prefect, but the couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

" Afford," Andromeda whispered she knew it was probably a tough subject for him.

" It's not a bad thing to be able to afford hell I'd rather have a loving environment then money," Lucius told them nervously. Draco's eyes popped out of his head and everyone looked at him. It took Neville hitting him at the back of the head to act normal again, passing quick looks towards his father to be."

**Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.**

**Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl.**

Everyone smiled at Ron who blushed bright red and looked down his ears the colour of a cherry.

**After all, he'd never had any money in his life until month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.**

**"... And until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldermort -"**

This time only, Lily, Alice, Peter and Regulus flinched.

**Ron gasped.**

**"What?" said Harry?**

**"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed.**

**" How can you do them both at the same time," Remus asked Ron who seemed to have resorted to shrugging his shoulders when he didn't know how to answer.**

**"I'd have thought you, of all people -"**

**"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the same," said Harry, "I just know you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."**

" That's the thing those who come from non-magical homes expect to be the worst but they seem to be the best." Contemplated Narcissa.

" It's because we think that and automatically go, I don't want to a look a fool I'll study hard, and if you get people who think you don't belong here you work harder to show you do," educated Lily.

**"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"**

" Man I wait for that trolley to come by every year," grunted Peter the biggest eater of them all, Hermione wondered whether Peter would beat Ron in an eating contest.

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

**He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, andnow that he had pockets rattling with gold and sliver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry - but the woman didn't have any Mars Bars. When she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans...**

As the list of delights continued Peter and Ron's mouth watered everyone in the room smirked and shook their heads.

" Even though the sweets wizards have they can't beat Skittles, Mars Bars, Twixes, lemon drops -"

" Turkish Delights, Milky way bars, Double Deckers,"

" Starbursts, Rolos, fruit pastels, Maltesers." Said, Harry, Hermione and Lily. Just then Lily suddenly decided she wanted a packet of fruit pastels she wished them up and surprisingly she had got what she wished for. All the purebloods were eyeing the packet with great interest, sighing she passed a fruit pastel to everyone in the room. Some were more cautious than others but all were delightfully surprised of how it tasted.

**Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven sliver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.**

**" Wow, he is an awful likeness to his father doesn't he." Chuckled Alice, James stuck his tongue out at her.**

" Well from the things Sirius and Remus and Snape told us yeah," Hermione said. Under his breath Harry asked her why she said Snape, and she replied with he always told you how much you were like your father.

**Ron stared as Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

**"Hungry, are you?"**

**"Starving," said Harry taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it there were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."**

Frank sticks his tongue out and wrinkles his nose in disgust; to him Corned Beef was poison only to be given to those who commit crimes.

**"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on -"**

**"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."**

**"Go one, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with.**

" That does make sense why you're overly generous and have quite a short temper." "I do not have a short temper Neville and how am I overly generous."

" Simple you always hand people your stuff and didn't you give Fred and George 1000 galleons."

" WHAT! You just gave away 1000 galleons." A dumbstruck James said his mouth like everyone else's apart from the present day Gryffindors was wide open.

" I didn't want it an I knew the twins were saving up so I gave it to them, I get everything free there now though," Draco's eyes widened but the others were trying to work out why someone would give away 1000 galleons.

" I agree with mini Longbottom you are overly generous," Bellatrix decided.

**It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

" Surprise, surprise," winked Remus.

**"What are these?" Harry asked Ron holding up the pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.**

**"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

" I have that card," Sirius boasted.

" Why didn't you or your future self give me it, darn Sirius," groaned Ron.

**"What?"**

**"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven' got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

" 500 what the f…"  
" Mr Snape I'd advise you not to finish that sentence," Dumbledore told him sternly still with a twinkle.

" That's quite a collection you have their Mister Weasley," smiled Professor McGonagall.

" Thanks Professor I have all of them now though I got the rest through out Hogwarts I got Agrippa in my 6th year,"

Everyone in the room was very impressed with his collection.

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and moustache.**

**" Hmmm, let me guess – Dumbledore."**  
**" yeah,"**

**"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.**

**"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron.**

**"Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa - thanks -"**

**Harry turned over his card and read:**

**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**

**Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts**

**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times,**

**Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945,**

" End of World War 2," muttered Lily heared by Dumbledore.

" Was that why muggle world was in a state of disaster, fallen buildings, many dead, a depressing area."  
Yeah, you could say we had our very own Voldermort in the body of Adolph Hitler who was once a German Solider but he wanted to rid the world of Jews as he blamed them for the loss of World War one.

" Wow, you've had two wars," said a surprised Narcissa who had never heard of them.

" No, we have had so many wars, hell I'd say England has been in nearly all the wars ever been, were not a liked country as were so powerful for a tiny island we once owned a quarter of the world. A murder in Austria was the cause of World War 1." Lily explained to them.

**To say they weren't surprised would have been an understatement.**

**His work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel and for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood.**

**Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.**

" Good to know," Said Regulus causing everyone to laugh. Regulus just smirked, his sense of humour different to his brothers.

**Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.**

**"He's gone!"**

**"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her . . . do you want it? You can start collecting."**

Hermione groaned when Lily read the part about Ron eyeing up the unwrapped Chocolate Frogs.

**"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."**

Eyebrows rose but nobody said anything.

**"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "_Weird_!"**

**Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes of them.**

" They were the weirdest things I had ever seen, it felt like I was watching TV it was bizarre."

**Soon he didn't just have Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Helga Hufflepuff, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.**

" I love them, had some awful tasting ones in the past though," Sirius told them he had once gotten a vomit and urine tasting one.

**"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavour, they _mean _every flavour — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a bogey-flavoured one once."**

A squeamish Narcissa wrinkled her nose in disgust the mere thought of eating a bogey flavoured anything. Made her feel positively repulsed and nauseous

**Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.**

**"Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."**

" When I was little my mum would tell me I would have to eat sprouts if I carried on been naughty. It was very rare I was naughty." Remembered Lily in slight amusement.

**Every Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.**

" Your one lucky guy Harry that could have been anything." Lucius complimented. Harry told him he wouldn't believe how lucky he was. And for once Lucius didn't try to guess.

**The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

**"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"**

" NEVILLE!" Ron and Harry shouted both jumping on the unexpected boy.

" We finally get to meet Neville, all we have to meet is Hermione and then we have all you five so Far." An excited Alice said rapidly.

" He always got away from me," said Neville. At that moment in time lily laughed telling him that was exactly what he had said in the book. This caused him to smile shyly a darkening slowly appearing on his neck.

**"He'll turn up," said Harry.**

**" **Aww that was sweet of you Harry, and did he?"

" Yes," said Neville as Harry blushed.

**Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…"**

**He left.**

**"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."**

**The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.**

Everyone laughed apart from the golden trio, Ron muttered darkly under his breath what a pathetic excuse of a rat he was?

**"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"**

**He rummaged around in his trunk andpulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.**

**"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —"**

" I have a new wand now, mum had to buy me a new after the little accident I had with it," said Ron whistling making out it wasn't his fault as he kept looking up,"  
"What did you with it?"

" I did nothing it the blasted Whomping Willow it kinda snapped it in half, I had on many occasions fastened it back together with some tape, but when I accidentally did a permanent memory charm on my DADA teacher in my second year." He told them a smirk on his face as he recalled the memory.

" You know after the things you keep telling us I believe you three will be much more trouble than the marauders and your brothers Ron," decided McGonagall, Hermione laughed and praised her on how right she was?"

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

**"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.**

" Why isn't that such a attractive description of moi," Snarled Hermione sending menacing looks at the book.

" Yeah we meet Hermione," Whooped James. Hermione just laughed and shook her head before scowling back at the book.

**"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

**"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."**

**She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.**

Singing slightly of key Draco, Neville and Harry sang Under Pressure. Everyone else shared puzzled looks but said nothing.

**"Er — all right."**

**He cleared his throat.**

**"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."**

" I assume your twin brothers told you that spell Mr Weasley," suspected Dumbledore. Ron nodded wondering why he ever believed them.

**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.**

**"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it?**

**I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart."**

" Whoa, even Remus and Lily didn't do that," an amazed Peter said earning him a right hook in the shoulder and a piercing glare. Peter gulped looking everywhere but the emerald eyes.

" Bet you gave plenty of textbook answers then," presumed Snape.

The four boys laughed.

" Sev, you have no idea," Draco said then dodged the blow Hermione was sending to his shoulder.

**"…Of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"**

**She said all this very fast.**

**Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.**

**"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.**

**"Harry Potter," said Harry.**

**"Are you really?" said Hermione.**

" I didn't know you were in a book Potter?"

" Truth be told Malfoy neither did I,"

**"I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History _and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great WizardingEvents of the Twentieth Century_."**

Frank whistled in admiration. Draco's eyebrows raised in surprise until Hermione actually asked if it had never occurred to him that the only boy who survived the killing curse was not going to be in a book.

**"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.**

**"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was I," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor; it sounds by far the best;**

" I take it Draco you the only one not in Gryffindor as they seem it," Draco nodded his head he didn't need to tell him what he was in the guessed: Slytherin.

I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.

" Oh really Ronald!" snapped Hermione turning away from him.

" Nev man, I'm doomed when she finds out what I say about her in the later chapters," he panicked.

" Chill Ron, she'll be annoyed and hurt but you've had that many arguments in the past and your still friends you'll be fine,"  
**He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."**

**"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.**

**"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw _would _be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."**

**"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

**"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

**"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.**

" Awwww Potter isn't that sweet of you," teased Draco, but he got his revenged when he asked him if he knew who they would be seeing very soon. The look in Harry's eye told him who.

**"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"**

**Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

**"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.**

" Oh wicked," marvelled Regulus who also held a key interest in Dragons.

**"Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the _Daily Prophet_, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault."**

" Wow, someone was actually foolish enough to attempt breaking into Gringotts," an amazed Bellatrix said.

" Yeah, but then again I doubt it's impossible," Draco smirked.

" I'd say it is, Dragons and Death. No thank you," James exclaimed waving his arms around.

Every time something about stealing and Gringotts was mentioned Dumbledore had slowly begun to notice they were leaving large pieces of information he knew they wouldn't say this if something had happened. Also by the sounds of what he had heard about young Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger and their troubled years the tight feeling in his stomach tightened

**Harry stared.**

**"Really? What happened to them?"**

**"Nothing, that's why it's such big news, they haven't been caught."**

Everyone was shocked from the past they couldn't believe someone had tried to rob Gringotts and had not been caught.

" Dumbledore aren't there curses, dark curses in Gringotts," asked a shaky McGonagall. Everyone's eyes turned to the Professor.

" Yes Minervra there are, curses are most popular in the wealthy pureblood volts as they have more money and valuables to lose. There are curses that burn and cause excruciating pain to someone, the fact that someone had gotten out alive can only mean they were very powerful, but there is a high chance they were injured."

Nobody said anything; Draco and Neville's mouth had touched the floor. The tightness in Dumbledore's stomach burst as he saw the swift glances the trio shared and their hands subconsciously feeling their legs and waist. Sadness filled the eyes of the headmaster.

**My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."**

" Listen to this it's rather interesting," Lily told them as she read a little more.

**Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldermort" without worrying.**

" You've lost me now Prongslet,"

" I mean you make it worse for yourselves by saying He Who Must Not Be Named, by labelling him with that, you make him sound so much more terrifying than just saying his name, at the end of the day Voldermort is much less fearful then He Who Must Not Be Named. It's like Draco, when the Malfoy's were feared calling him Malfoy caused more terror in people than calling him Draco, nicknames we make are meant to be worse than their real name most of the time."

" He definitely got Lily's brains," spoke Snape after a minute of silence.

**"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.**

**"Er — I don't know any." Harry confessed.**

**"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world —" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls andthe positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.**

" For the first time ever Quidditch was mentioned and nobody said anything," Lily winked in Hermione's direction; she laughed.

" Who is it this time?" Lucius asked looking at the trio. They didn't say anything they just looked to wear Draco was sat and everyone heard him gulp.

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop.**

**He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

**"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"**

**"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.**

**"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."**

" Bond James Bond," giggled Hermione, Harry and Lily know what she meant, both snorted.

" Before she continues I just want to say it's not my fault, responsible for this is my father and mother."

"Typical Slytherin," laughed Ron.

" Do you expect anything less from a Malfoy Weasley?" Ron shook his head amused.

**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

**"Think my name's funny, do you? No needs to ask whom you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."**

A shocked silence settled in the room eyes going back and forth between Draco, Lucius and Ron, the only one who smirked was Ron. Suddenly Draco begun to whistle and twiddle his thumbs, Ron couldn't keep it in and burst out laughing.

**He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."**

" Don't do it Harry," cried James. Till he remembered what he was doing and grinned sheepishly.

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.**

**"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.**

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

" I did not!" Argued Draco he doing what Hermione did not too long ago.

**"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents –."**

Many eyes stared angrily at Draco who gulped. Gathering his fleeing confidence he spoke. " That is easy said than done and you do not know how grateful I am not my head of house," The four present Gryffindors just smirked.

**"- They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riff raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."**

**Both Harry and Ron stood up.**

**"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

" Clash," Was all Narcissa said when they gave her odd looks she explained what she meant, under his breath Sirius muttered snob.

"Get ready for a laugh" Harry told them knowing what was coming up soon.

**"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.**

**"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.**

**"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."**

**Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.**

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle.**

The whole room erupted in laughter the only two not to laugh were Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore but both had a small smile on their face.

" You know I'm beginning to like that rat," chuckled Sirius.

What surprised Sirius the most was Draco and Neville averted their eyes down and didn't look at the trio, each had a far away look in their eyes. Sirius didn't have the nerve to ask what he had said wrong so for once kept quiet.

**— Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off andhit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

**"What _has _been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.**

**"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."**

**And so he had.**

" The marauders laughed nobody else dared as the look in the trios eyes were still there. Lily sensed the tension and carried on reading.

**"You've met Malfoy before?"**

**Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

**"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."**

" Everyone looked over at Lucius, he knew what he had to do and raised both sleeves and showed pale clear skin on both arms. The other Slytherins followed the only one not was Draco but known suspected him to. Shockingly to Neville, Harry, Ron and Hermione. Bellatrix also had two arms pale and clear.

" She got it the same time as the rest she waited a couple of years," Informed Draco quietly filling in what he guessed they were wondering.

**He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"**

**"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"**

**"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"**

**"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a snobby voice.**

" How the hell did you three all become friends," Andromeda asked them in shock.

" You wouldn't believe us even if we told you, you'll find out later in the book anyway." Harry told them. Grudgingly Andromeda accepted it.

**Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down. ****He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."**

**Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"**

" Hagrid," said Narcissa easily knowing it was always Hagrid. As Lily kept reading it showed Narcissa was right but there was no doubt she was.

**"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville sniffed once or twice the poor boy kept losing his toad.**

" Was I really that wimpy?" Neville asked Hermione. Biting her lip she slowly nodded her head and quickly lowered it to the ground. Neville placed a comforting hand on to her shoulder and squeezed it.

**"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."**

**There was a loud "Oooooh!"**

**The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.**

**"No More'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Neville and Hermione followed Harry and Ron into their boat.**

**"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat of his own. "Right then — FORWARD!"**

" I hated the darn boats, I nearly fell in thanks to James," scowled Remus. James had abruptly begun to whistle row, row row your boat.

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

**"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face.**

" How in the name of Merlin does Hagrid get under there as he never ducks but he always tells us too," a confused Bellatrix asked Dumbledore.

" Well miss Black Hagrid always enters under the same spot under the cliff this part is charmed as know matter how tall you are you can still fit through it."

The look on their faces should amazement.

**They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

**"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

**"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.**

Oh Neville," laughed Hermione and the others, Neville just sat there smiling shaking his head.

**Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.**

**They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.**

**"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.**

" That's this chapter done," said Lily excitedly.

" This means were going to get sorted soon.

" We'll also meet the potions teacher you keep mentioning," squeaked Peter. The five exchanged glances. Oh yes this would be one interesting chapter.

" Who would like to read next?"

" Can I please?" asked Remus. Dumbledore nodded and Lily handed him the book.

* * *

**Hey everyone so I hope you liked it. If there is parts that are a bit wrong or some of the story isn't in bold but should be or opposite way around let me know and I'll change it straight away. Sorry if there are spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes. **

**Lottie x**


	9. The Sorting Hat

**Here is the nexter chapter, sorry it took a while but i hope you all enjoy it. If parts are bold that aren't meant to be or not not bold when they should be, I'll hurt this chapter a lot.  
Also great news; I now have a Beta Reader.****

* * *

**

" Ok, this chapter is called **The Sorting Hat,**" recited Remus already knowing the name.

**The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. **

" It's Minnie," cried Sirius smiling up at her, hoping not to get hexed for calling her Minnie. She scowled at him but said nothing.

**She had a very stern face and Harry's first impression was that this was not someone to cross.**

" **The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.**

" **Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. **

" I remember when I first witnessed the Entrance Hall, all I did was stare at it in pure awe, I had seen nothing like it," Said Regulus reminiscing his first day.

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of must already be here.**

" Yeah, that is what scared me the most, it was terrifying, hearing the other years and walking through them to the hat. I was shaking," said Narcissa. The others nodded their heads in agreement. Including the marauders who seemed not to be fazed by anything.

**" – But Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather close together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.**

" I can't believe how nervous I was to be sorted," said Hermione hearing how she as well as the other first years huddled together.

" I know it's weird to think really how much we've matured," Harry raised his eyebrow at Draco's statement. Draco saw this and smiled ever so slightly knowing he was exaggerating quite a bit.

**"Welcome to Hogwarts," said McGonagall. " The start–of–term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted in to your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your family within Hogwarts."**

" Let me guess she then says, you will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room," said Snape who received surprised looks from the five. Shrugging his shoulders he told them that it was the same speech she had been saying since they started Hogwarts.

**The four houses are called Slytherins, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points. At the end of the year, the rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with will lose house points.**

As Remus read the part about the house cup and how you got it and the honour they should feel if they won it. Those in the room smirked at this, it had been the same speech for even longer than any could imagine.

**" The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you smarten yourself up as much you can while waiting."**

" Well it's good to know McGonagall hasn't changed in 20 years," said Narcissa, smirking but the sides of her mouth were twitching in to a grin.

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's clock, which was fastened under his ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.**

The group laughed, Ron shook his head amused at how much a smudge of dirt had been mentioned, and the repetition was becoming rather funny.

**Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair. " Mr Potter I assume that ended up as a failed attempt," McGonagall raised her eyebrow smirking. Harry nodded his head while shrugging his shoulders, he had known for many years that it was totally uncontrollable. " I shall return when we are ready for you," Said Professor McGonagall. " Please remain quiet," She left the chamber and Harry swallowed. " How exactly do they sort us in to houses?" he asked Ron " Some sort of test, I think. Fred says it hurt a lot, but I think he was joking."**

" That's cruel," said Alice frowning.

" Yeah but that's Fred and George. They wouldn't truly hurt anyone they just mess about with the unknown." Explained Ron defending his brothers.

**Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? He didn't now any magic yet – what on earth would he have to do?**

" Potter you idiot, did you honestly think they were going to test us on magic." Asked Draco a mocking grin on his face.

" Yes if you had been listening properly then you might have know," snapped Harry moodily because he hated to show weakness. Draco wasn't affected in the slightest with Harry's mood and he just grinned.

**He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw everyone else looked terrified too. No on was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learnt and wondering which one she'd need.**

Hermione groaned and placed her head in her hands. The others watched amused.

**Harry tried very hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he's had to take a school report to the Dursley's saying he had somehow turned the teachers wig blue.**

" Well you definitely take after your father there." Laughed Peter, he could see the image in his mind and still thought it was hilarious.

**He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.**

**Then something happened which made him jump in the air; about a foot or so – several people behind him screamed.**

**" What the – "**

**He gasped. So did the people around him.**

" What, what is it?" asked Snape quickly. He was known to be impatient and liked to know things straight away.

**About twenty ghosts had just screamed through the black wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first-years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying " Forgive and Forget, I saw we ought to give him a second chance – "**

**" My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances, he deserves?"**

" I hate that Poltergeist," scowled Frank who hadn't forgotten the cruel trick it played on him, the one that had given him a one-way ticket to the infirmary for a week.

**" He gives us a bad name and you know, he's not even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?"**

" Well … have they forgotton what day it is?" Lucius drawled rolling his eyes.

Leaning over to Draco, Neville whispered in his ear that he was a lot like his father. Draco in response rolled his eyes, having heard it many times before.

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first-years.**

**Nobody answered.**

**" New Students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. About to be sorted, I suppose?**

**A few people nodded mutely.**

**" Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. " My old house, you know.**

**" Move along now," said a sharp voice. " The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

"I hate my sorting it was so embarrassing," moaned Neville as he suddenly remembered it.

" Why, what happened?" asked Alice trying to find out as much as she possibly could about her son.

" You'll find out soon." was his reply.

" I can't wait to see who your Potions Teacher is, you've all spoken of him." Andromeda said. She had already eliminated Slughorn.

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

**" Now form a line," Professor McGonagall informed them, " and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got in to line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors in to the Great Hall.**

" One thing I'll never forget is my sorting, you remember it the whole of your life," said Dumbledore.

" What did the Sorting Hat say to you Headmaster?" asked Remus.

" He said I would fit well in all four houses. I had the ambition and drive of a Slytherin. I was brave as a Gryffindor, as loyal as any Hufflepuff and finally as intelligent as a Ravenclaw. He finally decided that Gryffindor would be the place I would reach my greatest achievements."

**Harry had never imagined such a strange and splendid place. Thousands and thousands of candles, which were floating in mid-air over four extremely long tables, where the rest of the student body was sitting, lighted it. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teaches were sitting.**

**Professor McGonagall led the first-years up here, so they could halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, " it's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read it in Hogwarts: A History."**

" What! You haven't even started Hogwarts yet and you've already read Hogwarts: A History," said a flabbergasted Bellatrix. The others in the room where also surprised. Hermione blushed a delicate shade of red.

" That's Granger for you," chuckled Malfoy.

**It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open to the heavens.**

**Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't let it in the house.**

" Why would it want to be in the house anyway Prongslet?" Sirius asked, not wanting an answer in return.

**Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it.**

"What _are_ you on about?" asked Regulus clearly confused.

" It's a muggle magic trick where they have a hat with nothing in it, but they have to pull a white rabbit out of it," explained Hermione. Regulus nodded in understanding.

**Harry thought wieldy that seemed the sort of thing – noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:**

" The song is always different," Sirius, pointed out the obvious, the five rolled their eyes already knowing this. Sirius noticed this and shrugged his shoulders smiling sheepishly.

" Was this song a good one?" asked Andromeda to the five. Before they could say anything Dumbledore butted in saying if they were silent then they'd find out.

**" Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,**

**But don't judge on what you see,**

**I'll eat myself if you can find,**

**A smarter hat than me.**

**You can keep your bowlers black,**

**Your top hat's sleek and tall,**

**For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat**

**And I can cap them all.**

**There's nothing hidden in your head**

**The Sorting Hat can't see,**

**So try me on and I will tell you**

**Where you ought to be.**

**You might belong in Gryffindor,**

**Where dwell the brave at heart,**

**Their daring, nerve and chivalry**

**Set Gryffindors apart;**

**You might belong in Hufflepuff,**

**Where they are just and loyal,**

**Those patient Hufflepuffs are true**

**And unafraid of toil;**

**Or yet a wise old Ravenclaw,**

**If you've a ready mind,**

**Where those of wits and learning,**

**Will always find their kind;**

**Or perhaps in Slytherin**

**Where you'll make your real friends**

**Those cunning folk use any means**

**To achieve their ends.**

**So put me on! Don't be afraid!**

**And don't get in a flap!**

**You in safe hand (Although I have none)**

**For I'm the Thinking Cap!"**

" Hmmm, that is a very good song to start off the year," mused Dumbledore.

" One of the more cheerful ones," mumbled Draco to Neville who agreed.

" Headmaster," Hermione said suddenly. " Is the Sorting Hat a sort of seer?" Her question caused a few raised eyebrows.

" Well I'll be, something Granger doesn't know" Hermione scowled at him and turned her attention back to the Headmaster.

" Well Miss Granger, the Sorting Hat is in fact a seer, but instead of coming out and saying what he is talking about he says it in his riddles and his songs," explained Dumbledore.

" Just like you then Albus," scowled McGonagall, Dumbledore just sat there with the normal twinkle in his eye.

**The whole Hall burst in to applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

" Ok, one question how the bloody hell does a hat bow?" cried Ron sending a confused look to the book.

" Oh Ronald its quite simple really he bends the top of his point and moves it so it is leaning to the table." Sighed Hermione.

**" So we've just got to try on a hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. I'll kill Fred, he said something about wrestling a troll,"**

" You've got to stop believing your brothers Red," cackled Bellatrix, Red was his now given name. Ron scowled at her and glanced over to Neville who had paled ever so slightly. Draco also noticed this an placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He now knew about the reason his Aunt was thrown in to Azkaban and it sickened him that the very boy whose parents were tortured, was someone he went to school with. He personally felt extremely guilty that it was a member of his own purebred family that had destroyed a fellow student's life so drastically. He couldn't imagine the traumatic experience of seeing his own parents and they not have any idea who he was. His feelings had changed about Neville, he had gone from thinking that he was a poor excuse of a wizard and was not a Gryffindor, to thinking he was one of the bravest people he had ever met, alongside the Golden Trio. However he would only admit this under Veritaserum.

**Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he wished they could try that hat on with nobody watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.**

" Oh Harry bless you, you were so frightened." Cooed Lily. Causing the Boy Who Lived to blush. And the Royal Bouncing Ferret to snicker at him.

" Just wait Malfoy, I'm pretty sure your mother will do the exact same when something happens to you." Snarled Harry who was satisfied when he saw Draco pale.

**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.**

**" When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.**

**The first girl to be called up was Hannah Abbott.**

" Okay I think she'll be in Hufflepuff I bet, pink-faced with blonde pigtails it's really obvious," said Bellatrix. As Remus said which house she was in she smirked.

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

" Susan Bones, isn't her mother at our school, in Ravenclaw?" said James loudly. Remus and Lily nodded their heads.

" Then she'll also be in Ravenclaw I bet," said Narcissa. She had slowly begun to get more interested in the book knowing that the blonde boy mentioned earlier was her son.

**" Hufflepuff" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.**

**" Boot Terry"**

" Ok, he has to be a Gryffindor, he has the name of one!" exclaimed Snape believing him to be right. However Ron grinned and he saw his shoulders slump. " Alright what house is he in?"

The five looked at each other and simultaneously cried " Ravenclaw!"

**The second table on the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.**

**" Brocklehurst Mandy"**

" If she isn't in Slytherin I'll smell Wormy's socks." Said Sirius with an air of confidence.

**" Went to Ravenclaw too,"**

" NOOO!" he yelled in remorse as one of Peter's socks suddenly appeared out of no where and landed in his lap. Cautiously he picked it up and lifted it to his nose. The odour hit his nose and his skin turned a pale green. The Slytherins openly laughed not even trying to hide it, where as James and Remus were being more discreet. Peter was red, and snatched his sock away from him. And blushed even more. Everyone else was still laughing. All except Dumbledore and McGonagall who had slight grins on their faces.

**" But Brown Lavender," became the first new Gryffindor and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry saw Ron's twin brothers catcalling.**

" Finally a Gryffindor student," said Frank.

**" Bulstrode, Millicent" then became the first Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked an unpleasant lot.**

" Well Bulstrode is definitely unpleasant, take that from me. But the girls in our house aren't what you call eye candy, I can tell you that," Draco said foolishly - he forgot about the Slytherin girls behind him, and when Draco turned he was greeted by a look of fury from the three Black Sisters.

**He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during sports lessons at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.**

" Aww that's awful. You poor thing," murmured Narcissa affectionately. Draco stared wide-eyed at the 17-year-old version of his mother sympathising with the Potter.

**" Finch- Fletchley Justin"**

" Now I don't know about any of you but I would hate to have that name," noted Lucius in disgust.

The others nodded their heads. Neville wondered if all the nodding everyone was doing would stop soon, it was becoming rather annoying.

**" Hufflepuff!"**

" Not surprised" muttered Snape to Regulus. Regulus raised his eyebrows and smirked at the same time.

**Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but others it took a little while to decide. " Finnigan Seamus ", the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.**

" That's two for Gryffindor, that's ace. We already know you four are so it's six at the moment," mentioned Alice.

" Hermione is next, and oh man," chuckled Remus. Hermione's eyes were wide. And with a quick kick she urged him to continue.

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.**

Hermione's face was a picture. Her eyes were wide and her jaw touched the floor. Then her face changed her eyes darkened and snarling she spat, " I did not nearly run to the stool and neither did I jam the blasted thing on my head!"

Neither Draco, Harry, Ron nor Neville where brave enough to actually say she did; all knew from experience not to cross an angry Hermione Jane Granger.

" Well seeing as we know what house Hermione is in then we'll skip that bit." Said Remus.

**Ron Groaned.**

**A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all?**

" That wouldn't happen every first year who is sent a letter is down on the list. When your born you automatically go straight on the list and can only be removed if you are dead." Enlightened Dumbledore, it seemed that Hermione, Ron and Harry already knew.

**What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?**

" You worry too much Potter," droned Snape. However keeping the little fragments of information to him self that he also did what Harry was doing.

**When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took along time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted "Gryffindor," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it back to "MacDougal, Morag."**

" Oh Neville," sighed Alice shaking her head but smiling.

" It's always me you'll soon get used to it," beamed Neville, a light pink dotting his cheeks.

" what house is he in?" asked Lucius stretching his arms.

" Ravenclaw," said Ron, then turned his attention back to Remus.

**Malfoy swaggered…**

" I did not swagger!" snapped Malfoy, he now glared at the book.

" You did, you acted like you owned the place. Typical Malfoy," laughed Harry. Draco on the other hand rolled his eyes and leaned back to rest on his hands.

" What you mean like a typical Malfoy?" asked Narcissa wanting to know as much about her future life as she could. The information she had gathered so far was the fact, she was married to Lucius and had a son called Draco.

**…Forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat barely touched his head and when it did it screamed "Slytherin"**

**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.**

" You are so like your father it's shocking," Franks addressed Draco. Who like before rolled his eyes and smirked.

**There weren't many people left now.**

**" Moon"… " Nott"… "Parkinson … and then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and Patil … then " Perks, Sally Anne"… and then, at last –**

**"Harry Potter!"**

" Before we listen to Harry's conversation with the Sorting Hat, tell us where they went first?" grunted Lucius looking at his nails one hand.

" Well, Sylvester Moon is in Ravenclaw, Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson are both in Slytherin, Padma Patil is in Ravenclaw where as Pavarti Patil is in Gryffindor and finally Sally Anne Perks is in Hufflepuff," explained Ron informing the group of both first and second name.

**As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over hall.**

**" Potter, did she say?"**

**" The Harry Potter,"**

Lily was fuming " What is he an animal at a zoo!" her skin becoming red from anger.

" It doesn't bother me there, it's like when I'm my age now and after everything I've been through it's sometimes difficult to walk down the street," Harry said, as soon as he had finished, he winced realising that might not have been the best thing to say. Thinking quickly Professor McGonagall cast a quick charm on her causing her to calm down she also told her to breathe deeply.

**The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the Hall full of people craning to get a good look at him.**

Lily growled.

**Next second he was looking at the blackness inside the hat. He waited.**

**" Hmm" said a small voice in his ear. " Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting … so where shall I put you?"**

**Harry gripped he edges of the stool and thought, " Not Slytherin, not Slytherin."**

**" Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. " Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all in your head you, and Slytherin will help you on your greatness, no doubt about that – no? Well if your sure – better be Gryffindor!"**

" You could have been a Slytherin?" said Draco gob smacked, never once had he assumed that Golden Boy could even be a Slytherin.

Hermione, Ron and Neville looked equally surprised.

Suddenly Draco burst out in a fit of laughter.

" What's so funny?" asked Peter.

" Just the thought of my head of house's face if he saw Potter go in to Slytherin," the four Gryffindors, knowing what Draco was talking about, also burst out laughing.

" He'd have to have been nice to me then, that would have killed him," chuckle Harry bemused at the thought.

The others just looked at them thinking they had gone mad. In James' mind, laughing about nearly being placed in to Slytherin was no laughing matter. Sirius thought similar.

**Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the Hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily towards the Gryffindor table. He was relieved to have chosen and not put in to Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, " We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged in to a bucket of ice-cold water.**

James and Sirius nodded their heads, hair going all over their heads, James's becoming messier than before. Both boys had accidentally walked through the Fat Friar in their 4th year and had been freezing all morning long.

**He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs-up. Harry grinned back, and there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognised him at once from the card he'd got out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole Hall hat shone as brightly as the ghosts.**

Dumbledore chuckled merrily at this and Professor McGonagall smiled. She enjoyed teaching the 1st years the most usually because they were still young and naive and their imagination is amusing in it's own way.

**Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.**

**And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Turpin Lisa" became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now.**

" A colour that just simply clashes with ones red hair," winked Andromeda jokingly. Lily was at the moment wearing a forest green top, so it went to prove green did go with red, but probably not a good skin colour.

" Oh Ron that means you're a witch," laughed Snape, remembering from earlier discussion of muggles thoughts on witches. Ron took that as a cue to scowl at him.

**Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted "Gryffindor!"**

**Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.**

**" Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Blaise Zabini" was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.**

**Harry looked around at his empty gold plate. He had only just realised how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.**

**Albus Dumbledore had got to his feet.**

" Good to see you can still stand in your old age there Albus," smirked McGonagall teasingly. The four marauders eyebrows rose, but it was Frank who spoke.

" Professor McGonagall I never expected you to say something so mischievous," he said sternly, but smiling in the process.

" Well Mr Longbottom, I was quite cheeky back in my Hogwarts days," she told them. A few snorts from the Slytherin direction but nobody said anything.

**He was beaming at the student, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.**

**" Welcome!" he said. " Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And there they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!**

**Thank you!"**

" Oh dear, it seems I've gone a bit loopy in the future years," mused Dumbledore. The five smiled at him, where as the Slytherin burst out laughing.

" Well Professor I've got to ask. Nitwit?" Regulus raised an eyebrow; Dumbledore however smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He himself not totally understanding why he had used that particular word.

**He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.**

" You're meant to laugh Prongslet," Sirius pointed out.

" I know that now," he replied laughing at the scenario.

**" Is he – a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly.**

" Yes," said Dumbledore before Remus spoke again. He received the glare from McGonagall.

" Well Professor, Percy says you're a genius and the best wizard in the world, but alas a bit Mad. And then offers Harry the bowl of potatoes. Interesting!" blurted Remus. Everyone else laughed, the trio could now see why he was a marauder. He was hilarious and not in the same way of Sirius and James.

**Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now pilled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table; roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, and lamp chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire puddings, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and for strange reason, mint humbugs.**

" Well that's easy, the Headmaster just loves mint humbugs," said Narcissa like it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

" Yes Miss Black, I surely do,"

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick.**

" Good I hope he was up all night," scowled Alice furiously, she hated the fact Harry was poorly treated. And the fat boy who could use a diet was over feeding himself to stop his cousin from eating made her extremely cross.

" Well it looks like Prewett has a Slytherin side," drawled Snape smirking as he saw her scowl menacingly in his direction.

" It's ok, trust me I made up for it when I entered the magic world," Harry quickly told them attempting to stop an argument from breaking out.

" Yeah mum always said he looked too skinny and could do with being fattened up a bit," added Ron seeing what Harry was doing.

**Harry pilled his plate high with a bit of everything except the humbugs and began to eat. It was all delicious.**

" Do you expect anything more Harry, its Hogwarts," said James: and once again to the book. Totally spooked now Sirius, Peter and Remus shuffled away from the Gryffindor. All silently agreeing their friend needed help: and quick.

**" That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut his steak.**

**" Can't you –?"**

**" I haven't eaten for nearly four years," said the ghost. Realisation dawned on his face, " I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy – Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."**

**" I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. " My brothers told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!"**

**" I would prefer, you call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy –" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.**

**" Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"**

" I really hate it when people ask him that" whimpered Peter slightly pale. Narcissa agreed, albeit unwillingly.

" It interested us really, even if it was a bit gory and not easy on the eyes." said Hermione.

**Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.**

" Well wasn't that obvious," articulated Regulus who was popping one of his pumpkin pasties in to his mouth.

**" Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell on his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly.**

" That must have really hurt, imagine having a blade pounding on to your neck." Scrunching her nose in disgust winced Andromeda.

" It would have, 400 years ago if you wanted your head to be chopped off in one swing they had to pay the executioner, if you couldn't afford then you were going to be in a lot of pain and humiliation," explained Hermione, seeing the eyes off all the purebloods widen.

" That's awful, why – why would they do something like that," whispered Narcissa clearly traumatised her hands gripping her neck.

" It was punishment, sometimes they'd do it because you killed someone, or committed treason. It was popular act in France with the guillotine; they'd chop off people's heads if they didn't pay their taxes. Nasty business it was. Anyway back in Nick's time you could lose anything. If you were caught stealing you could lose a finger, your hand, even your ear. If you lied to someone high in court they'd cut out your tongue. Come to think of it that still happens today in places with the Sharia law." Hermione told them, seeing everyones eyes grow larger - even the professors. The only one bar Hermione who wasn't fazed was Harry who knew of this also.

" I- I knew about the olden days, and …and the French but it still happens." Lily stuttered in shock.

Harry and Hermione nodded.

**Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back on to his neck, coughed and said, " So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherins ghost.**

" Six Years!" Bellowed McGonagall. " What happened?" she was in shock, HER house was known for winning the cup.

" Don't know really, could be the fact that our dear Head of House hates Gryffindors with a passion," sniggered Draco.

" If your Head of House is being biased to their own, I'll skin them alive," she said clearly angry.

" But he wouldn't be bothered in the slightest, he'll most likely sit there and raise an eyebrow and be like whatever you idiotic Gryffindor bitch. Trust us, he's a scary man. Many fear the Slytherin Head of House." Explained Harry, he knew he was going to get Snape in trouble but the look on his own Head of House's face was hilarious.

**Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.**

" Thanks Potter, you're such a good pal," glared Draco. Harry just grinned cheekily back at him.

**" How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.**

**" I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.**

**When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the puddings appeared. Block of ice-cream in every flavour imaginable, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding…**

" Mmm," drooled Peter and Sirius, they both enjoyed dinner but they loved dessert more. Both having a sweet tooth, they couldn't get enough of the delicacies.

**As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.**

**" I'm half and half," said Seamus. " Me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'till after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."**

" In some cases that's a bad thing, parents can quickly divorce if this happens. It has happened before. Sometimes if the man in the relationship is a muggle, he can become abusive towards both wife and child," explained Dumbledore. Through out his explanation Hermione watched Snape from the corner of her eye, her face saddened as she saw him lower his head slightly his greasy bangs covering his face as Dumbledore mentioned becoming abusive to mother and child.

**The others laughed.**

**" What about you Neville?" said Ron.**

**" Well, my gran brought me up she's a witch," said Neville, " but my family thought I was all Muggle for ages. My great-uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned – but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came around for tea and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankle when my great-aunt Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally dropped me. But I bounced – all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here – they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great-Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."**

Throughout the little explanation of Neville's first sign of magic and how it progressed, Alice and Frank's jaws dropped further and further to the floor. The eyes popping out of the sockets. Then suddenly Alice burst in to floods of tears. Words mixed in with her sobs. "I'm sorry," she repeated the most. Rocking back and forth, now that she had met her own son in the book and it's explanation of him and his magic ability she felt empty.

" Mum," he started attentively and she looked up at him. " It's not your fault, you did the right thing. I would have done the same. I nearly did in my fifth year." His sentences were short but to the point, he knew he could say nothing more. He just nodded to Remus to carry on reading, knowing she needed to hear the 7 books to stop this from happening.

**On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons " I do hope they start straight away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something in to something else, of course it's supposed to be very difficult –"**

**" You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing –"**

**Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy inside, looked up at the high table.**

**Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet.**

**Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore.**

**Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a greasy black hair, hooked nose and sallow skin.**

" No please no," moaned Snape his eyes wide and his hands clenched tightly. He knew someone who looked like this. But hoped he was wrong.

" Is this your Potions Teacher?" asked Sirius. When Harry nodded, everyone bar Snape, was suddenly more interested than before.

**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nose teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight in to Harry's eyes – and a sharp hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.**

Dumbledore's eyes squinted trying to understand what had just happened. He wasn't totally sure, but he believed this man might have had a connection with Lord Voldermort.

**" Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.**

**" What is it?" asked Percy.**

**" N-nothing."**

**The pain had gone as quickly as is had come. Harder to shake off the feeling Harry had got from the teachers look – a feeling that he didn't like at all.**

**" Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.**

**" Oh you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape."**

" What!" yelled James glancing towards Snape whose eyes were wide, and his skin unbelievably pale...

" Mr Snape, are you alright?" asked McGonagall staring at the boy who looked as if he was going to faint.

In nothing more than a whisper he said, " I look like my father," even though it was quiet everyone heard him. Hermione and Lily sent him a sympathetic look neither knowing what to say. It seemed the fact of how he looked bothered him greatly as he placed his head in his hands.

**" He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to – everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."**

" Great, what am I a deatheater?" he spat angrily. Hermione rolled her eyes attempting not to show the true fact he was. " Longbottom over there said he didn't like me, I have a feeling the other three Gryffindors also hate me." His temper was short.

**Harry watched Snape for a while but Snape didn't look at him again.**

**At last, the pudding too disappeared and Professor Dumbledore hot to his feet again. The Hal fell silent.**

**" Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few older students would do well to remember this too,"**

**Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.**

**" I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for his or her house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a painful death."**

" Very funny Headmaster," laughed Alice, but then noticed Hermione; Ron and Harry's faces were deadly serious and stern. She stopped laughing instantly as she looked at them. Others followed her eyes.

" He's being serious?" Frank asked shocked. Harry nodded, seeing their faces he decided to explain something.

" Every year that us five are at Hogwarts, there is always something dangerous that happens."

**Harry laughed, but he was one of the few he did.**

**" He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy.**

**" Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. " It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us Prefects, at least."**

" Always thought highly of himself did Percy, still does now I think about it. Thinks that just because something is going on, he needs to know." Commented Ron.

" A lot like a Malfoy really," said Neville. The others agreed whereas Draco just scoffed. But nobody really listened to what he had to say.

**" And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.**

**Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.**

**" Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, " And of we go!"**

**And the school bellowed.**

" I want everyone to sing along with Mr Lupin," said Dumbledore, everyone inwardly groaned.

" Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

Teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot." Sang the group all scowling secretively and unnoticeably at the Headmaster.

" Thank god that is done," whispered Neville under his breath to Draco.

**Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand, and when they had finished, he was the one to clap the loudest.**

**" Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. " A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot."**

**The Gryffindor first-years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase.**

**Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food.**

" A more normal reason for your legs to be heavy, I guess" implied Bellatrix, shocked still that Snape was the dreaded Potions professor.

Harry smiled sheepishly, through 7 chapters he had come to see that this was going to be a rather embarrassing few days.

**He was so sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much further they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.**

" Any ideas why we stopped" asked Ron.

" Erm you got lost," suggested Lily but Ron shook his head.

" The staircases moved and you got left behind," voiced Narcissa but again Ron shook his head.

Suddenly Regulus sat up straight and blurted out " You ran into Peeves?" Ron beamed at him and nodded. This caused Regulus to whoop loudly.

**" Peeves," Percy whispered to the first-years " A poltergeist." He raised his voice " Peeves show yourself."**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon answered.**

**" Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"**

**There was a pop and a little man with a wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

**" Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. " Ickle firsties! What fun!"**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.**

**" Go away, Peeves, or the Bloody Baron'll hear about this, I mean it," barked Percy.**

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking stick on Neville's head.**

"Oh Neville, why is it always you?" sighed Andromeda feeling sorry for the young boy in front of her.

" I've been asking myself that for years," he chuckled. " But I'm not the only one that has wondered that," glancing over to the Golden Trio that grinned back at him. " Well we've been saying this for years haven't we?" laughed Hermione.

**They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.**

**" You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. " The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us Prefects. Here we are."**

" Your brother really does think he needs to have every right." Said Lucius simply.

" Oh yeah, he's like that at home as well," explained Ron.

**At the end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.**

**" Password?" she said.**

**" Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it – Neville needed a leg up – and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. A cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs.**

**Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase- they were oblivious in one of the towers – they found their beds at last: five four-posters bung around the deep-red velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up.**

" House elves bring them up straight away after you get off the train, so by the time you have gotten back to your common room everything is sorted.

**Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.**

**" Great food, isn't it," Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings " Get off Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."**

The group laughed, all bar the trio, whose faces were stern and were trying to hide the anguish in their eyes.

**Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.**

**Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him telling him to transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull if off but it tightened painfully – and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it – then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold – there was a burst of green light and Harry woke sweating and shaking.**

**He rolled over and fell asleep again, when he awoke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.**

" That is a weird dream," Remus contemplated frowning; he looked over at Harry whose eyes were wide.

" I can't believe it, I'm – I'm in shock, I truly don't remember that." He was so surprised at what he had just read.

" Well that's the end of the chapter," said Remus turning his attention away from Harry, Hermione and Ron's shocked faces.

" I think we should read another chapter and then have dinner, and later we should turn in for the night, have a good night sleep." Dumbledore informed them, in a tone where they couldn't argue.

While everyone was discussing the last chapter, Harry leaned over to the four others.

" Potter you dreamt that, what the hell?" said Draco shocked.

" I know, looks like I was having those dreams a lot earlier than I first thought." he said.

"Harry do you think there's a chance you could be a seer?" asked Neville cautiously.

Thinking about it he answered Neville's question, " There could be but I'm not sure."

Before Hermione could say anything, Professor McGonagall addressed them " We're going to start the next chapter now,"

" Ok," said Hermione looking at Harry in a way, which he knew from experience, that they weren't finished talking about it.

" I just want to say I'm very impressed at how you all behaved while we read the last chapter, can we keep this up please boys," said Dumbledore looking back and forth between the Marauders and Slytherins.

* * *

**Just a note the Hogwarts song isn't meant to be in bold, I wanted to have those reading the book to sing it instead.  
Please review, let me know what how you think it was going. :)**

************

The Sorting Hat


	10. The Potions Master

**Here it is, the next chapter in this story, I hope you all enjoy and review and place it in your favourites :p xx**

* * *

**The Potions Master**

"Severus will you do the honour of reading this chapter?" said Hermione taking the book out of Remus's hands as she looked at the chapter title.

"Sure I will any reason why?" asked Snape taking the outstretched book from her hand. Hermione said nothing just watched his face as he turned the page and read the title of the chapter

"**The Potions Master**," he said more to himself then to the crowd of people waiting for him to start reading.

"Wait the chapter is about you?" said Sirius sneering in disgust at the idea of having to listen to a chapter about a guy who he hated beyond words.

"When you're ready Mister Snape please read," said Professor McGonagall. Snape nodded his head, cleared his throat and began to read.

**"There, look."**

**"Where?"**

**"Next to the tall kid with red hair."**

**"Wearing the glasses?"**

**"Did you see his face?"**

**"Did you see his scar?"**

**Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory next day.**

"This better not continue!" snapped Lily angrily, the thought of her son, her baby boy being stared at like a circus freak angered her.

**People queuing outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass his in the corridors again, staring. Harry wished they wouldn't; because he was trying you concentrate on finding his way to class.**

**There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump.**

"I always forgot to jump sometimes I still do!" blurted Peter rubbing his leg slightly.

The three marauders laughed at Peter knowing he always did.

**Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all,**

"What is the point of them?" asked Draco remembering walking into one in his first year. But didn't mention that little piece of information.

**But solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other and Harry was sure the coats of arms could walk.**

"It's because they can when charmed," sneered Regulus like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know that now don't I" snapped Harry disliking the tone of Regulus's voice.

**The ghosts didn't help either. It was nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point the new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop waste-paper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your fee, pelt you with bits of chalk or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"**

"Albus you must do something about Peeves if he's doing something like that to the first years!" turned McGonagall looking at Dumbledore who seemed to be in deep thought.

**Even worse than peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker Argus Filch.**

"Can't agree with you more Prongslet; Filch is an evil bitter old man who needs to get out more, always going for mine and the gangs heads. Evil evil old man!" said Sirius, all the other students in the room nodded their heads in agreement some less willing to agree with Sirius.

**Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning.**

"This proves you two are going to be more trouble than the Marauders" groaned McGonagall. The five from the future all laughed,

"Your forgetting Granger here too Professor it's a triple effort thing." Laughed Draco as the Transfiguration teacher looked at the bushy haired girl wide eyed.

**Filch found them trying to force their way through a door which unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons….**

"Do they still do that?" asked Narcissa, her pale eyes landing on Draco's face. Feeling the familiar look on his face from having the elder version of his mother doing just that, he turned towards her. "No but if Filch could have his way they would be."

**…When they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.**

**Filch owned a cat called Mrs Norris, a scrawny, dust coloured creature with bulging, lamp-like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, or step a toe out of line she would race off to get Filch, who'd appear wheezing two seconds later.**

"Who knew Filch was so quick aye Padfoot?" Joked James, knowing it took him a lot longer to get there than 2 seconds.

"Aye Prongs I didn't we should test this theory when we are free."

"I can't agree more with you dear Padfoot."

"Boys" warned McGonagall. The boys in question sat in silent but looked at each other smiling mischievously.

**Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (apart from the Weasley twins) and could pop up as soon as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs Norris a goof kick. **

"Haha well Zabini's dearest ambition was to throw the cat of the Astronomy tower after she ran to get Filch when he was out with one of the Patil Twins one night. He got six months' worth of detention with him." Chuckled Draco, the memory of the handsome Italian; throwing things around the room and being thoroughly annoyed was rather amusing.

"Zabini as in Blaise?" asked Frank. Draco nodded and waited for Frank to continue. "Any chance is he related to Giovanni Zabini a seventh year Slytherin." At this the entire Slytherin group focused on Draco.

"I believe so; never really asked him, don't think he even knows. He's had many dads in the past. His mother marries them, there dead not long after. Some say she murders them been no proof has been given to show she has. However once one dies she's remarried in a few months." Eyebrows were raised but nobody said anything they just waited for Snape to continue reading.

**And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the lessons themselves. There was a lot of magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying few funny words. **

**They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movement of planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learnt how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi and found out what they were used for. **

"I always loved Herbology; don't know why cause I like being clean but it was my favourite subject." Said Alice happily, Harry Ron and Hermione looked at Neville who was smiling brightly.

"Herbology is my favourite subject too; it's the only one I'm any good at." Said Neville quite shyly, but everyone heard. Alice looked over at her son and smiled she guessed that he knew very little of Frank and herself and realised every little piece of information she could give him would be more valuable than any amount of money they left him.

**Easily the most boring lesson was History of magic, which was taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff-room fire and got up to teach the next morning and left his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates and got Emeric the Evil and Uric Oddball mixed up.**

"How one's odd and one's evil," said Bellatrix sarcastically. Beside her Lucius whispered in her ear that he remembers her getting them mixed up; Snape also heard what Lucius said; smirked and carried on reading.

**Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first lesson he took the register, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight. **

**Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and Clever, she gave them a quick talking to the moment they had sat down in her first class. **

"She did that to us as well, is the speech still the same?" Remus asked Snape who had read ahead a little.

"Yeah pretty much the same." He replied to him.

"**Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and never come back. You have been warned." **

"Yeah pretty much the same to what we had, just worded differently." Said Lucius, he had been keeping a close eye on Snape since he had started reading. He knew the past his friend had; was not pleasant and he knew he feared his father; everyone in the room now knew this. The idea of him being a replica of the one you hated is something that shouldn't be taken lightly and he, most likely more than anyone in the room knew the depths Severus would go if he was unhappy. The one thing he feared more for his friend was the fact in deepest hatred of himself he would turn to the dark side. They had thought about it and planned to do it but now he was having second thoughts. He just hoped Severus was also.

**Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all immensely impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realised they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time.**

"Approximately 6 years." Said McGonagall, she now felt slightly weird. Listening to someone talk about her lesson that wouldn't take place for at least another 20 or so years.

**After making many complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how is had gone silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile. **

"Well done!" applauded James and Sirius smiling at her.

"Yes well done Miss Granger, only a few students have ever managed to make any difference in their first ever Transfiguration lesson. You show an excellent talent in Transfiguration." Professor McGonagall sent her the 'rare' smile mentioned in the book.

"Thank you Professor" she said bashfully her cheeks pinking slightly.

**The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off vampires he's met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by the African Prince as a way of saying thank you for getting rid of the troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had thought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather.**

The group laughed. "Well that's one thing you do in England that you do in hardly any other country," laughed Hermione.

"What?" asked both Lucius and Alice at the same time?

"Talk about the weather," laughed Lily; Hermione, Harry and Snape all laughed at this as well.

**For another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that is was full of garlic as well, so Quirrell was protected wherever he went.**

**Harry was very relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start. **

**Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great hall for Breakfast without getting lost once.**

"That was a proud moment." Laughed Ron thinking back to the memory, that was so many years ago.

"It sure was!" chuckled Harry also.

"**What have we today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.**

"**Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favours the, - we'll be able to see if it's true."**

"**Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor house, but it hadn't stopped her giving them a pile of homework the day before.**

"Well some things never changed," mumbled Sirius to Frank but was heard by McGonagall who scowled at him.

**Just then, the post arrived. Harry had got used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred of owls had suddenly streamed into the Great hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners and dropping letters and packages on to their laps. **

**Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew into nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to the owlery with the other school owls. **

"That's one affectionate owl you have there Mr Potter," said Dumbledore.

"Yeah she was the best" said Harry thinking to only a year ago. This time everyone noticed the past tense in his sentence, all feeling it was a rough topic and they'd find out later. All said nothing.

**This morning however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note on to Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. **

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us a reply back with Hedwig.  
Hagrid**_

**Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled **_**"Yes, please, see you later" **_**on the back of the note and sent Hedwig off again.**

**It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far. **

"Would it be, by any chance that Severus would be the reason for this?" asked Lily looking directly at Harry.

"Erm there is a high possibility it could be, but there is a possibility it could not be," said Harry avoiding Snape's eyes.

**At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had got the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potion lesson, he knew he had been wrong.**

"That's good to hear," said Alice.

**Snape didn't dislike Harry – he hated him!**

"Ah, think that might be my doing there Harry," said James bashfully scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I know, but there is more to the hating/liking then first meets the eye" said Harry confusing everyone apart from Hermione and Ron.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Severus who was wary. Both Draco and Neville looked intrigued.

Harry didn't know exactly what to say so he looked to Hermione. "Severus, you are most likely going to be the most complicated person we will read about out of loads. There will be many times were we and the others question your loyalty. What you must know is your life is very complicated. What we see and what is the right story will be different, but the whole of your life and everything we'll read about will be answered in the last book. There will be a chapter dedicated to your life. Until that chapter there will be many loose ends and that chapter will tie it all up." Explained Hermione in steady voice.

"Is this why we're reading them in the order of your school years then?" asked Narcissa.

"Yeah, not just the fact it's our school years but there is no point reading the third book before the first and second. Or the last book before the sixth. The sixth book is our sixth year and without that information you will not understand any of the seven books." Said Hermione.

"I don't think I want to read about our sixth year thank you very much!" said Draco. Sadly Hermione, Neville, Ron and Harry smiled at him. Hermione rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

**Potions lessons took place down in one of the many dungeons. It was colder here then up in the main castle and would been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars around the walls.**

**Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the register, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.**

"**Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity.**

**Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were like Hagrid's, but they had none of the warmth of Hagrid's. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels. **

"**You are here to learn the subtle science and extract art of potion making" he began. He spoke in barley more than a whisper, but caught every word – like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you to really understand the beauty of simmering cauldrons with its simmering fumes, the delicate powder of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses … I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big as a bunch of dunderheads as I usually teach." **

"You know, that still creeps me out to this day, and that fact he said it in the exact same way he does in the future terrifies me!" said Neville wide-eyed.

"I must say Mr Snape that is an excellent way to introduce potions minus the Dunderheads part!" Dumbledore pointed out. Snape lowered his head a little but there was a distinctive smirk on his face.

**More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with a raised eyebrow.** **Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving she wasn't a dunderhead. **

"**Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"**

_**Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? **_**Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.**

"**I don't know, sir," said Harry.**

**Snape's lips curled into a sneer.**

"**Tut tut – fame clearly isn't everything."  
He ignored Hermione's hand/ **

"**Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me bezoar?"**

**Hermione's hand stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter. **

"**I don't know, sir." **

"Severus that isn't fair," said Alice who was sat two places from him.

"Don't you think I know that, but there is nothing I can do at the moment is there!" snapped Snape angrily. The trio exchanged glances but said nothing. They all knew if they were not impressed with his teaching methods they'd be many other events they'd definitely make a statement over.

**Harry forced himself to keep looking into those cold black eyes. He HAD looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything on One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?**

**Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand. **

"**What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" **

**At this Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.**

"This is embarrassing" mumbled Hermione listening to Draco snicker beside her.

"**I don't know." said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" **

**A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye and Seamus winked. Snape however, was not pleased.**

"**Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping drought so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which is also goes by then name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you copying that down?" **

"Wow your potion lessons sound like a barrel of fun their Prongslet," said Sirius trying to imagine what it would be like. Beside him James was sat in thought. He knew the reason Snape chose to bully his son, it was his son. Many years of torment and bullying had caused Snape to become bitter, and to a boy who knew nothing about his Potion's teacher and fathers past, thought it was just hatred.

**There was a sudden rummaging for quills and pieces of parchment. Over the noise, Snape said "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter." **

"When am I first mentioned in these books" drawled Bellatrix, so far she hadn't been totally bothered and wanted to find out more about herself. She was to become a Deatheater very soon and had a feeling this happened and she wanted to know if she was truly loyal to him.

I think you're mentioned in the fourth book but we first meet you in the fifth book." Said Harry, he didn't truly believe this would affect the Queen of Darkness, she looked positively evil already.

**Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potion lesson continued. Snape put them in pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticising almost everyone but Malfoy who he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. **

"Thanks Longbottom." drawled Draco.

"You're welcome Malfoy," replied Neville.

"How do you know it's Neville's potion?" asked Regulus confused.

"It's always his potion," chuckled Draco, Neville smiled proudly, over the years he had decided he was rubbish at Potions and he just accepted it now.

**Neville had managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob and their potion was seeping across the stoned floor and burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class were standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.**

"Oh Neville it seems you take after me in more ways than one, I was atrocious at Potions, I dropped it when I did my Newts," said Alice sadly.

"It's alright it isn't just Potions I injure myself in," said Neville trying to cheer her up.

"Why what else do you injure yourself in?" asked Lucius.

"Everything!" stated Neville seriously.

"**Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" **

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. "Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat as Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron who had been working next to Neville.**

"**You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills?" Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point lost for Gryffindor."**

"Snape!" growled Sirius angrily but a warning look from Hermione silenced him immediately.

**This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron. **

"**Don't push it," he muttered. "I've heard Snape can turn pretty nasty." **

"If Snape can turn nasty then I'd say it's best to keep you mouths shut." Bellatrix said like always inspecting her nails.

"I agree with Bella on this one, Snape doesn't seem awfully nice and if he can become worse don't think I'd like to find out how!" said Regulus, he was dying to find out when he would be mentioned and wanted to read the books quickly.

**As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week – why did Snape hate him so much?**

"**Cheer up," said Ron. "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come to visit Hagrid with you?" **

**At five to three they left the castle and made their way across to the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were onside the front door.  
When harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back Fang – back."**

**Hagrid's big hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled open the door.  
"Hang on." He said. "Back, Fang."**

**He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of the enormous black boarhound.**

"**There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling; a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.**

"That sound really homey, much homelier then the Noble House of Black," mumbled Narcissa, she like Sirius lived in a Noble House of Black, not the one where the order was situated in the future, a different one in Surrey.

"Why?" asked Draco, his mother didn't speak much of her childhood and it had always intrigued him. The only things she mentioned were the family ancestry.

"Well it's not really something I'd associate with a homely life; you know a warm fire blazing pleasantly in the main room. Smell of food wafting up your nostrils. Not a house you walk into and it's cold and deadly silent and eerie. No smell of food." Said Narcissa sadly. Cautiously Andromeda placed her hand on her younger sister's shoulder, nervous to how her sister would respond. Surprisingly Narcissa smiled at her and Andromeda removed her hand smiling back. Bellatrix watched the sisterly affair and rolled her eyes at the sickly display.

"Stop making me feel sick." She said slowly. Narcissa looked down whereas Andromeda scowled at her.

"You know what Bellatrix, I have a feeling I know exactly what you're in here for, and I don't think it's an overly pleasant thing." Snapped Andromeda angrily. Both sisters stared at each over dangerously their eyes never once leaving each other's face. It was truly two completely different sisters with completely different ideas, views and values glaring, trying to turn the other to ice.

"**Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.**

"**This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes on a plate.**

"**Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' ya twin brothers away from the Forest."**

**The rock cakes almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.**

"Sounds just lovely does that," said Alice sarcastically grimacing at the image appearing in her head.

Harry laughed and nodded his head at this.

**Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git".**

"**An as fer that cat, Mrs Norris. I'd like ter introduce her to Fang some time. D'yeh know every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her – Filch puts her up to it."**

**Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of his students.**

"**But he seems to really **_**hate **_**me." **

"**Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?" **

"I think Hagrid does know why Snape could hate Harry so much, but just doesn't want to say," said Regulus pointing out the obvious.

"No shit Sherlock," said Lily, receiving a few puzzled faces at Sherlock. " Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character he is a detective; solves crimes with his partner Dr Watson. Some of the stories he's most known in are Sherlock Holmes Man with the Twisted Lip, Shoscombe Old Place, Speckled Band as well as many others." Explained Lily to those who were confused.

**Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.**

"**How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Harry. "I liked him a lot – great with animals." **

**Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cosy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:**

_**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**_

_**Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, wildly believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown.**_

_**Gringotts' goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.**_

"_**But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon.**_

"Wow so we've heard someone tried to break into Gringotts but someone has actually has come out alive that's never happened before!" said a shocked Frank, the others in the room were equally shocked that the safest place in Gringotts had been broken into and the said person or people had gotten put alive and without been caught.

" Erm haven't you realised that there has been a lot of never happened before moments, like who else do you know that has survived the Killing Curse other than Scar-head over here," pointed Draco, Harry scowling at the blonde for the use of the little 'pet' name. The group contemplated what Draco had said and each silently agreed.

"I'm assuming there is going to be many more of these never happened before moments coming up?" said Lucius, now that the book was progressing more he seemed to be fascinated more than before and the little bonus of his future son been here, defiantly intrigued him and to how his family would be effected.

"Oh definitely there is to be some shocking news to come up and that's never happened before." Said Hermione thinking to the first ever breakout from Azkaban.

**Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.**

"**Hagrid!" said Harry. "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"**

**There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eye this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again **_**the vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that day**_**. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package.**

"What is that package, it keeps being mentioned?" said Remus frowning, he knew the package was important and he just couldn't think why.

"You'll find out later," smirked Hermione, Draco looked at her and tried to read her mind but Hermione closed him off and smirked at him.

**Had that been what the thieves were looking for?**

**As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse,**

The group laughed, Harry and Ron looked down sheepishly a faint blush on both cheeks.

**Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?**

"That's the end of this chapter" drawled Snape placing the book down. The group sat in silent for a few minutes letting the information sink in.

"A quick summary of this chapter I believe," said Dumbledore in his usual calm voice. However his eyes didn't held the same twinkle the Golden Trio knew so well.

"Well we've all learnt that Snape is a foul git in the future." Said Sirius not caring he was sat in the room. Snape frowned at Sirius but said nothing he knew Sirius was right.

"Erm the break-in in Gringotts was on Harry's birthday," said Narcissa.

"Were getting signs that Professor Quirrell isn't all he seems to be?" said Peter uncertainly. Harry smiled not expecting anyone to pick that up so soon and especially not Peter.

"We've also learnt more about the teachers who work at Hogwarts," said Lily smiling up at Professor McGonagall.

"Professor it's beginning to get late, when are we going to sleep?" asked Hermione who was gradually becoming tired after the day's events.

Looking down at the moon watch on his hand Dumbledore closed his eyes and in mere seconds the room had changed from a cosy living room to a bedroom and a few bathrooms. "There is enough bed for everyone in the room, and seeing as it is late it's time to turn off our brains and sleep." Said Dumbledore standing up and headed over to the bed at the far side. Each bed had a curtain wrapped around it and it would hide everyone's dignity. Everyone stood up and made their way to the beds. Hermione specifically chose the one beside Snape's. When everyone was settled in she pulled the covers back and top-toed over to Snape's bed.

"Severus can I have a word." She asked him quietly. The curtains around the bed were pulled open. She sat on the bed and pulled the curtains too.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him anxiously not knowing how he was feeling.

"I've been better I guess," he mumbled the chapter today was a hard one on him and she could tell. "Be honest Hermione am I as bad as the book says?" his eyes were searching hers for an answer and she knew she had to tell him, "Yes" she whispered it sadly but the words were loud to him.

Hermione didn't know how to comfort him; he was after all her deceased Potions Professor.

Sitting up he stared at the end of the bed with thoughts zooming around his head. He refused to cry but the suffering he would cause the boy in the future hurt to think about. Even though he was placed in Slytherin he didn't really want to hurt anyone other than the Marauders and that was for years of torture.

"Severus, you can change all this; your future doesn't have to become like this," Soothed Hermione. The next thing to happen she didn't expect, but Snape wrapped his arms around her and cried in her shoulder. It shocked both of them, Snape wasn't one to cry and hated to cry. Hermione was shocked because he young Potions teacher was crying in her arms.

The two of them sat there for about 5 minutes till his tears dried up.

"Don't tell anyone I just did that," snarled Snape, it was more out of embarrassment that he had cried in front of her than anything else, but Hermione nodded her head.

"Remember this, while I am here you can tell me anything, I don't know what the future can become, you all in this room will be the deciders of that, but I won't judge you because I know of the future that I am from." Hermione told him, and for once Snape felt he could believe someone. "I'm going to go back now; I just wanted to see if you're ok, I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight Severus." And with that Hermione slipped back out of his bed and crossed the small gap back into her bed. As she left she heard a soft voice saying goodnight back.

* * *

**Please please please review, I hope this chapter is good, even though it was like one of the shortest but it's naturally a short chapter in the book. The Sherlock Holmes stories are the ones I did in my English Coursework, so I did them and I got a B with it, so I thought i'd mention them, if anyone is interested they are pretty good stories. **


	11. The Midnight Duel

**Well I've finally got round to making another chapter, I'm sorry it's taken me forever to write it but the past months have been hectic as I'm in my last year at school; now finished :) and it's been exam after exam. But here it is I hope you enjoy :) x**

* * *

**The Midnight Duel **

The next morning saw no difference in the way that Hermione and Severus acted towards each other, however little did they know the headmaster had been awake and heard the conversation between the time traveller and the lonely boy. He made a mental note to keep a close eye on the boy once they had left the room and the time travellers had left this period of time.

"Professor how much of the book are we expecting to read today?" asked Regulus tearing the crust off his toast and eating it separately.

"Well I'm hoping we finish the first book today so we can start the Chamber of Secrets tomorrow," explained Dumbledore to the young Slytherin. "Once we have finished breakfast we will sit and carry on reading." Said Dumbledore eating the rest of his cereal. Once breakfast had been consumed the group sat around in a circle in the exact same seats as the previous night.

"Who wants to read?" asked Hermione looking around the group.  
"I will," stated Bellatrix her hand out stretched to be handed the book. Seeing nobody else volunteer Hermione extended the book to the Raven haired devil to be and sat back ready for her to begin.

"This chapter is called **The Midnight Duel" **Said Bellatrix frowning at the words.

"What could it mean, Midnight Duel?" asked Sirius confused.

"Well Black I'm sure it's not that hard to understand a duel taken place at midnight," Severus said sarcastically like he was talking to a child.  
"I know that you grease ball, I meant what type of duel?"

"Well seeing as they're only 1st years I can't imagine it been dangerous, can you?" he replied.

Sirius chose not to reply but the feeling in his stomach would not disappear.

**Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.**

"Oh wow cheers Scar-head I'm touched" smirked Draco sarcastically.

**Still, first- year Gryffindors only had potions with Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor Commonroom which made them all groan. Flying lessons would be on Thursday – and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together. **

"The first flying lesson was a disaster," mumbled Neville groaning.  
"Why was it?" asked Frank who had thoroughly enjoyed his flying lessons.

"You'll find out." Said Neville, the look on his face told everyone something had happened to him.

"**Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."**

**He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else**.

"**You don't know you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, I bet that is all talk. **

**Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly that first-years never getting in the house Quidditch teams and told long boastful stories in which always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles helicopters. **

"For the record that is all true, the helicopter things are dangerous and bigger than you first expected, looking up at them from the ground they look tiny once you get next to them there large, noisy and create loads of wind!" exclaimed Malfoy

"Well if you're on the ground thousands of meters below the helicopter that's in the sky, it is going to look a lot smaller from there then been next to it." Explained Lily like it was the most obvious thing ever.

**He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he almost hit a hang-glider on Charlie's broom. Everyone from the Wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas who shared their dormitory, about football. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was permitted to fly. Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham football team, trying to make the players move.**

The group laughed as Ron blushed bright red. "Reading these books is definitely an embarrassing experience, "he mumbled scratching the side of his head.

**Neville had never been on a broom in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground. **

"Well I don't think there is anything I can say to defend my corner there," laughed Neville heartedly completely agreeing with the small paragraph.

"You take after your grandfather on your mother's side" said Professor McGonagall, she had attended Hogwarts with Clive Prewett and he was an extremely clumsy boy.

**Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn out of a book – not that she hadn't tried.**

"Hermione," laughed Sirius who was slowly beginning to like the supposed stuck up Bookworm.  
"Well I wanted to be prepared. C'mon the idea of being sat on a stick floating around the air where you could easily fall off and kill yourself didn't sound pleasant especially if you're afraid of heights, like I am.

"You're afraid of heights?" asked Draco surprised that the prissy bookworm was afraid of something so common.

"Yes, and now you're going to turn around and say you're afraid of absolutely nothing!" responded Hermione defending herself.

Draco said nothing just smirked.

**At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of the library book called Quidditch through the Ages. Neville hung on to every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the post. **

"Can I just point out that Quidditch through the Ages wouldn't help in learning to fly, it just tells you about Quidditch?" said James carefully not wanting to anger the brunette Gryffindor.

"Yes I know that now," smiled Hermione.

**Harry had not had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, and of course Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened, gloatingly at the Slytherin table. **

"Do I sense a sign of jealousy coming from the pint-size Potter there?" Gloated Lucius looking directly at James

"A Potter would never be jealous of a Malfoy, not ever!" snarled James glaring daggers at Lucius

Watching the glaring competition unfold Draco leaned over to Harry; "You know Potter, I think they hate each other more than we do," he raised an eyebrow silently asking if Harry agreed, Harry laughed and nodded his head looking at Bellatrix to continue.

**A barn owl brought Neville a small red package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke. **

"**It's a Remembrall!" he explained "Gran knows I forget things – this tells you if there is something you've forgotten to do. Look you hold it tight, like this and if it turns red - oh…" His face fell because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "… You've forgotten something …" **

"Well I'd say that's a spot of bad luck there my friend." Said Remus sympathetically, whom had once been in a similar situation to him.

"It's always me, you'll soon notice that," laughed Neville, pretty sure he had said that already but couldn't remember.

**Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.**

The room scowled at Draco who just flashed a guilty smile and pulled on his collar.

**Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash. **

"Supersonic speed there professor," laughed Ron.

"**What's going on?" **

"**Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."**

**Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.**

"**Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. **

"Hmm, you seemed to be flanked by both these boys rather often there Mister Malfoy," noticed Dumbledore, he had been writing very frequently on a note pad that he had summoned at the beginning of the chapter. Draco eyed the note pad but chose to answer the not obvious question. "Well Professor they're not the smartest boys in the school, and they needed my guidance and leadership to keep them in track."

"Or more like your father and their fathers had a word and you were forced to be friends, they are there to step in to a fight when you need a bodyguard." Draco scowled at Hermione who smiled back at him not caring he was annoyed.

**At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.**

**The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks laying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you fly too high, or always flew slightly to the left. **

"Wow how old is those brooms?" asked Regulus surprised as the brooms they had were the top brands and in perfect quality.

"I would say there about 20 years old or something" assumed Draco.

"20 years old surely not, we must have bought some new broomsticks since now," said a shocked Professor McGonagall. Once again Dumbledore scribbled something on to his note pad.

**Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short grey hair and yellow eyes like a Hawk.**

"**Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."**

**Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.**

"**Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front "and say Up!"**

"**UP!" everyone shouted.**

**Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell if you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a nervous squeak in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.**

"Well that is a very wise option there Longbottom," said Narcissa who herself wasn't overly found of flying only doing it when necessary.

"How do horses know whether you are scared or not?" asked Peter confused.

"Not sure really they - just - do," said Lily looking to Hermione who also could not explain it.

"Oh wow something the amazing Hermione Granger doesn't know shocking!" dramatically cried Draco holding a hand to his heart pretending to faint in shock.

**Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows; correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.**

Half the room erupted in laughter as Malfoy's cheeks turned a pale shade of pink as he muttered rapidly under his breath.

"**Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard." Said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle – three – two –" **

**But Neville, nervous, jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.**

"Oh Neville," said Alice in a tone often used when he was to do something wrong "it's always you," she shook her head not wanting to know exactly what was going to happen next.

"**Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle – twelve feet – twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and – **

**WHAM – a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay; face down, on the grass in a heap.**

"And that is one of the reasons we do not allow first years on brooms or play Quidditch, because of the serious injuries that could occur if they have only just learnt to fly, for those who have been flying for many years it gives everyone else a fair advantage and makes them equal," exclaimed McGonagall; over the years there had been many arguments over first years been ineligible to fly.

"Equal? Ha, Purebloods will never be equal to those such as Muggles or Mudbloods, they have filthy blood where as we have clean!" snapped Bellatrix furious about the fact she was to be seen equal to the Muggleborns.

"Miss Black while you are in my school you will not use inappropriate language." Dumbledore said seriously.

**His broomstick was still rising higher and started to drift lazily towards the Forbidden Forest and out of sight.**

**Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.**

"**Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy – it's all right, up you get."**

**She turned to the rest of the class.**

"**None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear"**

"An empty threat there from Rolanda" muttered McGonagall.

**Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him. **

**No sooner were they out of ear shot than Malfoy burst into laughter.**

Neville's head turned to the side scowling at Malfoy who was once again smiling guiltily. "I don't really like these books you know," he said looking around not making eye contact.

"Why you realised how much of a foul prat you really were?" asked Ron strongly.

"Carry on reading Bellatrix please," said Draco choosing not to answer that question, feeling glares on him from the other Gryffindors.

"**Did you see his face the great lump?"**

**The other Slytherins joined in.**

"**Shut up Malfoy," snapped Parvarti Patil.**

"**Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson a hard-faced Slytherin girl "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies Parvarti." **

"Hmm what are these two girls like Parvarti and Pansy?" asked Dumbledore writing both names down on the note pad.

"Is this Parvarti who you mentioned had something going on with Blaise?" asked Andromeda.

"Yeah, Parvarti has been known to have gotten around if you get my jist?" the group nodded. "I don't really know much about Patil to be honest I know more of … Pansy" he shuddered as he said her name; this didn't go unnoticed by Snape.

"Take it you dislike the girl then?" he said a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Dislike? I bloody hate her, she's obsessed with me! Giving me stupid little pet names, I've been out with her a few times but seriously she's horrid looks like a pug!" he exclaimed the four Gryffindors nodding their heads in agreement.

"I like the nicknames she gives you Drakey – Poo," Hermione teased watching the blonde Slytherin scowl at her.

"Drakey – Poo, I love it!" chuckled James also receiving a scowl.

"What about Parvarti?" asked Lily changing the topic of Draco's pet names.

"She's a lovely girl just a bit dim, and as Malfoy said she gets around, she's the schools gossip so you have to be careful what you tell her cause it could be around school in the next hour. Her best friend is Lavender Brown she is also very alike Parvarti. I also believe she is the older sister, but not overly sure as I never asked her" explained Hermione.

"She seems my kind of women" joked Lucius the only one not to see the joke was Draco who went from pink to white to green in a matter of seconds.

"Relax Malfoy he's joking" laughed Harry.

"**Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." **

**The Remembrall glistened in the sun as he held it up.**

"**Give it here Malfoy." Said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch. **

**Malfoy smiled nastily.**

"Does a Malfoy know any other way to smile?" asked Sirius cheekily looking at Lucius and Draco. Both Malfoy's glared at him but said nothing both itching for their wands; Lucius more than Draco.

"**I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect – how about – up a tree?"**

"**Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt on to his broomstick and taken off. **

"Harry Potter you better have not gone after him!" Snapped Lily, Harry just pulled at his collar and whistled looking every which way but his mother to be.

**He hadn't been lying he could fly well – hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called "Come and get it Potter!"**

**Harry grabbed his broom.**

"**No!" shouted Hermione Granger "You heard Madam Hooch she told us not to move – you'll get us all in trouble."**

**Harry ignored her.**

"Like a real Potter, doesn't listen when been told the right thing," said Frank winking at James who pushed out his chest proudly.

**Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked off hard against the ground and up, up he soared, air rushed through his hair and his robes whipped out behind him – and in a rush of fierce joy he realised he'd found something he could do without been taught – this was easy this was wonderful. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.**

"Nice one Harry, been able to fly without been taught, even purebloods who have been flying since they were children have to be taught, I'm very sure Lucius would have made sure Draco could fly before he went to school even if that meant him teaching Draco himself. Correct?" Draco nodded his head unhappily at what Alice had said.

"You'll be a pro at Quidditch then?" asked James confidently and for once directing his question at the real Harry not the one in the book.

"Well that's something you'll find out shortly," he replied smiling mysteriously, confusing everyone in the room who had no idea what he was on about.

**He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in mid-air. Malfoy looked stunned. **

"**Give it here," Harry called "or I'll knock you off your broom!"**

"**Oh yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried. **

**Harry knew, somehow what to do. He leant forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands and it shot towards Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about turn and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping. **

"**No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.**

**The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy. **

"I think it did actually" laughed Malfoy, he admitted to himself only that back then he did need both Crabbe and Goyle but now he didn't, the sudden thought of the night Crabbe died flashed into his mind, he may have been an idiot but he was his friend and strangely enough he did miss him, just because he had always been there. He had noticed a significant difference in Goyle since the death, he wanted to ask him how he was, but that was something you just didn't do.

"**Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back towards the ground.**

**Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise and up in the air and start to fall. He leant forward and pointed his broom handle down – the next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball – wind whistled in his ears, mingled with screams of people watching – he stretched out his hand – a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently on to the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.**

"Well I never; in all my life have I heard of a first year fly like that!" said McGonagall shocked, however she wasn't the only one, everyone else seemed to be; then all of a sudden a loud "Whoop" came from James.

"My son is amazing at flying, you could be a Seeker, and oh it's a proud very proud day!" called James rapidly his face beaming.

"You think?" Harry asked.

"Of course Prongslet why wouldn't you be?" asked Sirius rapidly.

Harry smiled and looked between the three Gryffindors and Slytherin beside him and they all shared a smile, one been more painful than the others.

"**HARRY POTTER!" **

**His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running towards them.**

"You don't seem so impressed Professor," said Narcissa resting her head on Lucius.

"I believe it would be more surprise if I'm honest Miss Black.

"**Never – in all my time at Hogwarts –" **

**Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flushed furiously "– How dare you – might have broken you neck –" **

"**It wasn't his fault Professor – "**

"**Be quiet Miss Patil –"**

"**But Malfoy – "**

"**That's enough, Mr Weasley. Potter follow me, now."**

**Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle triumphant faces as he left. **

"Professor you couldn't really expel him, right?" asked Severus having a slight feeling there was more to this then first seen.

"I don't think I could Mr Snape I'd probably try and get him on the Quidditch team," laughed Professor McGonagall.

There were a few smiles on the faces of the five but nothing was said.

**Walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode towards the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?**

"There are an awful lot of questions there," said Regulus counting them on his fingers.

"I know I was really worried."

"Yeah but we all know you weren't expelled as you have six more books about your school years," said Andromeda smartly.

**Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Maybe he could stay on and be his assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.**

"Think you're still too small to carry Hagrid's bag," laughed Remus at the image of giant bag with a pair of legs struggling to keep up with Hagrid's ginormous steps.

"I've faced many terrifying things but yeah you're probably right, I dare to think how much he'd have in that bag."

"Why would you want to be Hagrid's groundkeeper anyway? It would be all muddy."

"Narcissa were not all like you and I doubt Harry would be bothered about mud," said Andromeda.

"I didn't want to leave Hogwarts either, it was like a home for me even if I had been there less than two weeks. I had made friends for the first time ever, it felt well – nice," said Harry a little embarrassed.

**Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.**

"**Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?" **

"Hold on, what she doing?" asked a confused Severus, he looked at the others, they were just as confused.

"You'll find out just wait," said Ron.

**Wood? Thought Harry, bewildered was Wood a can she was going to use on him?**

**But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick room confused.**

"**Follow me you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looked curiously at Harry.**

"**In here," **

**Professor McGonagall pointed into a classroom which was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard. **

"**Out, Peeves!" she barked.**

"I've never heard a cat bark," joked Sirius earning him a McGonagall scowl but a pat on the back from the other Marauders.

**Peeves through the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.**

"**Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood – I've found you a Seeker."**

"WHAT!" yelled James his jaw dropped and his eyes widened but he wasn't the only one, the other three Marauders held similar expressions as well as the Slytherins, even Professor McGonagall was surprised.

"Professor you were right, you were going to get him on the Quidditch team." Said Lucius he couldn't believe what he was hearing; McGonagall chuckled.

**Woods expression changed from puzzlement to delight.  
"Are you serious Professor?" **

"**Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broom Potter?"**

**Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be getting expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.**

"**He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."**

"Isn't Charlie Weasley they're referring to your elder brother?" asked Peter, Ron nodded. "Wow was he really that good?" he asked him, Ron smiled and nodded again telling him that Charlie was one of the best on a broom in his family.

**Wood was now looking as though his dreams had come true at once.  
"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly. **

"**Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.**

"**He's just built to be a Seeker too," said Wood now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light – Speedy – We'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor – a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say." **

"Are they the best brooms you can buy?" asked Andromeda, she had always held an interest in Quidditch and Broomsticks. This was one of the reasons she was the closest with her father as she had similar interests as him.

"**I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in the last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for two weeks…"**

Both Snape and McGonagall looked at one another, both still trying to adjust that one day they would be colleges and not teacher and student.

**Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.  
"I want to hear you're practising hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."**

**Then suddenly she smiled.**

"**Your father would have been proud," she said "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."**

"Awwww thanks Minnie I'm touched, and yeah I am proud my son, the youngest Quidditch player ever.

"You're welcome Mr Potter," she said kindly "but what have I said about calling me Minnie?" she suddenly barked.

"**You're joking."**

**It was dinner time. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of Steak and Kidney pie halfway to his mouth. But he'd forgotten all about it.**

"What! Impossible, Ron forgetting about food." Said a flabbergasted Hermione.

"That's what I was thinking" said Harry and Neville at the same time.

"Shut up guys I don't think about food all the time. I just like food, blame my mum for that," He defended.

"**Seeker?" he said. "But first-years never – you must be the youngest house player in about –"**

"**- a century," said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me." **

"**Ron was so amazed, so impressed; he just sat and gaped at Harry. **

"**I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret." **

"That's rather smart," said James thinking deeply about what had happened in this chapter.

"Why is it?" asked Bellatrix confused.

"Well nobody will expect them to have a first year as their Seeker, this keeps the other teams questioning who will fill the position of Seeker, it's a game plan, if the other groups don't know who it is then it will slowly worry them." He explained, he loved Quidditch and could talk about it more than anyone he knew. Bellatrix chose to say nothing but nodded her head understanding and continued to read.

**Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall spotted Harry and came straight over.**

"**Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too – Beaters." **

"**I tell you, we're going to win Quidditch Cup for sure this year," said Fred "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."**

"**Anyway we've got to go Lee Jordan reckons he'd found a new secret passageway out of school. **

"**Bet it's the one behind Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you"**

"How did they find that," whispered Sirius to the Marauders.

"You don't think they have the map do you?" Peter said worriedly.

"I hope not, because if they have, it will be in the book and that means McGonagall will find out and she'll confiscate it!" hushed James nervously. The four exchanged looks between one another and then looked directly at the Golden Trio. The trio caught their eyes and Harry raised his eyebrows in question, James shook his head in response.

**Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. **

"**Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"**

"**You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," Harry said coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle but as there was a High table full of teachers, neither could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.**

"**I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy "Tonight, if you want. Wizard Duel. Wands only – no contact." **

"A wizards duel!" yelled both Narcissa and Lily, both Harry and Draco jumped in unison slightly shocked and afraid.

"Do you know the dangers of Wizards Duel Draco Malfoy, how could you be so foolish to even suggest such an idea!" screamed Narcissa her maternal instincts kicking in.

"I … err – well I don't know what to say," stuttered Draco, he had never expected this response when he was told he had to travel back in the past to read the seven books.

Everyone else was finding the reaction of Lily and Narcissa rather amusing, apart from James and Lucius who seemed a little worried about how their married life would turn out.

"**What's the matter? Never heard of a Wizards duel before, I suppose?" **

"**Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"**

**Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.**

"**Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked."**

**When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.**

"**What is a Wizards duel?" said Harry "And what do you mean your my second."**

Lily groaned and placed her hands in her head, while Narcissa scowled at Draco.

"Potter, did you expect them to react like this?" asked a shaky Draco.

"No, I expected them to get emotional at certain things but this was unexpected. Haven't you noticed that I seem to get into things other people volunteer me to do?" said Harry, Draco nodded and chuckled lightly.

"**Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at the last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face he added quickly, "but people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway." **

"**And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" **

"**Throw it away and punch him on the nose," suggested Ron. **

"**Excuse me."**

"Oh dear," moaned Hermione.

"Ah, I take it that was you?" chuckled Alice; Hermione nodded her head moaning once more.

"Was I really that bad to begin with?" the four boys nodded their heads, and for the third time moaned.

**They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.**

"**Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.**

**Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.**

"Oh thanks Mione." Ron said sarcastically

"You're welcome," she replied cheekily.

"**I couldn't hep overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying –"**

"**Bet you could," Ron muttered.**

" – **and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."**

"**And it's really none of your business," said Harry.**

"**Goodbye," said Ron.**

"It's very obvious that Hermione is the female as she sense how stupid this idea was." Snapped Narcissa, still angry. "Draco how did you even hear about Wizarding Duels?" she asked him.

"Erm well my father told me about them." He said rather quietly. Lucius gulped as Narcissa turned her angry face towards him. "How could you be so stupid to tell a child about Wizarding duels, do you not have any sense what danger you could have put our son in Lucius!"

"Why are you yelling at me now, he hasn't even been born yet!" he replied back.

"I don't care if he hasn't been born yet, if the elder version of you was here I would yell the same to him."

"The older Lucius is much more intimidating," said Hermione laughing at the glare the younger one gave her. "What?" she asked innocently.

**All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day. Harry thought, as he lay awake much listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, remember to dodge as I've forgotten how to block them." **

"Oh Ronald," sighed Hermione shaking her head.

"What can I say?" Ron chuckled desperately trying not to look at either Narcissa or Lily who were still very angry about the upcoming event.

**There was a very good chance they would be spotted by Mrs Norris and Filch, and Harry felt he was close to pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness – this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face to face. He couldn't miss it. **

"**Half past eleven," Ron muttered at last. "We'd better go." **

**They pulled on their dressing gowns, picked up their wands and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase and into the Gryffindor Commonroom. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them: "I can't believe, you're going to do this, Harry."**

"I bet that's Hermione," said Severus to Regulus who nodded his head in agreement.

"She seems to be there whenever you don't want her to be there," Regulus replied quietly to him.

"Have you wondered how they actually became friends they seem to hate each other in this book."

"I've noticed, Snape do you think this chapter is actually going to end in a good way or not?"

"Well Reg, seeing as they are both alive then I doubt there is anything to worry about." Reassured Severus.

**A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing pink dressing-gown and a frown.**

"**You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!" **

"**I almost told you brother," Hermione snapped. "Percy – he's a Prefect, he'd put a stop to this."**

"Hermione you really should have, heaven knows what could possibly happen between the two of them," said Lily smiling at Hermione but scowling at both Draco and Harry, who shuffled uncomfortably.

**Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.**

"**Come on" he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.**

**Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.**

"**Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall about switching spells."**

"Hermione, how on Earth did you guys become friends?" asked Remus shocked.

"Well if I'm not mistaken you found that out in the next chapter," she said smiling knowing if it was the chapter she was thinking of a few more shocks for Lily were on the way.

"I've just realised something," said Sirius.

"What?" asked Andromeda?

"I was right! I said the duel would be something more than just a little child's thing," he said strongly looking at Snape.

"Oh Sirius, you would notice that now!" laughed Alice.

"**Go away,"**

"**All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so –"**

**But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone a night- time visit and Hermione was locked out of the Gryffindor Tower.**

"**Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly**

"**That's your problem," said Ron "We've got to go we're going to be late"**

"Bet she tags along, and I bet Draco doesn't turn up," said Lucius who was secretly hoping he didn't turn up, as he couldn't handle been yelled at for something he hadn't done yet.

**They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them. **

"**I'm coming with you," she said.**

"**No you are not!"**

"**D'yeh think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth that I was trying to stop you and you can back me up.**

"Granger you're a smart girl but c'mon how can you really think they would agree with you to get them in trouble, and do you really think Filch would care if you told him the truth?" asked Draco laughing at her stupidity.

"Well at the time I did Malfoy, come on I was young!"

"Plenty of book knowledge up there but no common sense," joked Draco.

"**You've got some nerve –" said Ron loudly.**

"**Shut up both of you!" said Harry sharply "I heard something"**

**It was a sort of snuffling. **

"**Mrs Norris?" breathed Ron squinting through the dark.**

**It wasn't Mrs Norris. It was Neville, he was curled up on the floor fast asleep, but jerked awake suddenly as they crept nearer. **

"**Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours; I forgot the new password to get into bed.**

"**Keep your voice down Neville. The password is pig snout, but it won't help you now the Fat Lady has gone off somewhere.**

"**How's your arm?" Harry asked**

"**Its fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute.**

"**Good – well look, Neville, we've got to be going somewhere we'll see you later –"**

"**Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet. "I don't want to stay here alone; the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."**

**Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.**

"**If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learnt that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us all about and used it on you."**

"Well that's very Slytherin of you Weasley," said Snape smugly, smirking at Ron when he scowled at him.

"Well people were getting on my nerves," he said defending himself but managed to dig himself into a hole.

"Why thank you Ronald, I know you weren't real fond of me back then but that is taking the mick if I say so myself!" snapped Hermione angrily.

**Hermione opened her mouth perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward. **

**They filled along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed towards the trophy room.**

**Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet.**

"And most likely won't even turn up," said Lily after hearing what Lucius said it dawned on her what Draco had done.

**The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in darkness. They edged along the walls keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by.**

"**He's late, maybe he chickened out," Ron whispered.**

"Or maybe I was never going to turn up," said Draco laughing, he never expected them to actually turn up to it.

"Why did it never dawn on us that you wouldn't turn up," said Harry confused.

"I did if you remember correctly!" snapped Hermione now realising how foolish they had all been.

**Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak – and it wasn't Malfoy.**

"**Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."**

**It was Filch speaking to Mrs Norris. Horror struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently towards the door away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped around the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room. **

"You two are becoming more of a nuisance than your father, Potter," said McGonagall shaking her head and counting the amount of things he had done so far.

Harry laughed and said that she didn't know the half of it and nodded to Bellatrix to keep reading.

"**They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "Probably hiding"**

"**This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery of suits of armour. They could hear Filch getting closer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run – he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour. **

"Oh Neville, it would have been you," Laughed Alice slowly seeing the funny side her son brought into the books. Neville beamed up at her, shrugging his shoulders silently saying it's not my fault.

**The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle. **

"**RUN!" Harry yelled and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following – they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead without any idea where they were or where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.**

"**I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering. **

"**I – told – you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest "I – told – you."**

"**We've got to get back to the Gryffindor Tower," said Ron "Quickly as possible."**

"**Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realise that don't you? He was never going to meet you – Filch new someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."**

"And did you?" asked Frank, rather amused.

"Erm yeah actually I did, if I was caught by Filch my mother would have killed me; if I got expelled well I wouldn't have been able to walk through the front door." He said simply.

"What would your dad say?" Bellatrix asked him.

"He'd of just said good now he can go to Durmstrang like he wanted me to all along."

"Why did he want you at Durmstrang and not Hogwarts?" asked Lily, Hogwarts was the best place in the world and she could not imagine going anywhere else.

"Well he didn't want me to be under Dumbledore's care and at Durmstrang they teach the Dark Arts," said Draco giving a small clue to what his parents were like.  
"So your family is in to the Dark Arts?" said Andromeda, Draco nodded his head, "Well I'm glad I am to be disowned if that's what my family seem to be involved in."

"And I'm also glad your disowned as I don't want you to be in my family." Said Bellatrix sincerely.

"Bella! How could you say that, she's our sister!" cried Narcissa distraught that her eldest sister had said that. Bellatrix said nothing she just huffed waved her hair back and continued reading.

**Harry thought she was probably right, but wasn't going to tell her that.**

"**Let's go." **

**It wasn't going to be that simple they hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.**

**It was, Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.**

"**Shut up Peeves – please – you'll get us thrown out."**

**Peeves cackled.**

"**Wandering around at Midnight, ickle firsties? Tut, tut, tut, Naughty naughty, you'll get caught."**

"**Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please." **

"**Should tell Filch, I should" said Peeves in a saintly voice but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good you know."**

"**Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves – this was a big mistake.**

"You really are hot headed aren't you?" said Remus who was slowly realising Ron had a short temper when things didn't go his way.

"**STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!" ducking under Peeves they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor, where they slammed into a door – and it was locked. **

"**This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door "We're done for! This is the end!"**

**They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could towards Peeve's shouts.**

"Surly you'd have been gone by then?" said Peter like it was obvious.

Hermione laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well we would have been, cause you know, the Marauders never get caught," winked James causing Hermione, Ron and Harry to laugh. "What? We, never get detention, never loose points for Gryffindor, it's what we call talent." He joked, as everyone in the room knew he was lying.

"**Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock and whispered Alohomora!"**

"How does a first year know that spell?" asked a shocked McGonagall, "you aren't taught that till your third year here."

"Professor, Granger isn't known as the smartest which of our generation for nothing," Draco replied simply.

"Headmaster? What are you writing?" asked Alice, she had watched him write and was slowly wondering what information he wrote.

"Just simple things Miss Prewett like students names, things that are done, like this midnight duel also things like family's as much information I can get on the family's the more I'll know of their allegiance to our side. I have also written about teachers, things that have changed and happened with them.

"Ok," said Alice smiling at the elderly man.

**The lock clicked and the door swung open – they piled through it, shut it quickly and pressed their ears against it, listening. **

"**Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."**

"**Say Please!"**

"**Don't mess me about, Peeves, now where did they go?"**

"**Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying sing-song voice. **

"**All right – please"**

"**NOTHING! Ha haaa" told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please" Ha ha Haaaaaa!" and they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage. **

"**He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be OK – get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's dressing-gown for the last minute. "What?"**

"I was tugging on your sleeve for an extremely good reason if I recall!" Said Neville remembering the event clearly in his mind.

"Why what happened?" asked Remus curious

Before Neville could answer Ron butted in with "Fluffy, that's what happened!"

"Who or what is Fluffy?" asked Draco confused.

"You don't know who Fluffy is either, so it's something you never heard of?" asked Narcissa breathing a sigh of relief knowing full well Draco was not going to be in danger with the upcoming event known as Fluffy.

"There a lot of things I didn't know about, when I'm there and speaking is the only thing I know about other than big events the whole school knows." Draco explained, "In most cases I'm in the dark as much as you, but what's Fluffy?"

"You'll find out soon!" said Ron.

"Wait, that thing had a name!" said Neville getting over the irrational shock of Fluffy!" The golden trio nodded their heads.

**Harry turned around – and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare – this was too much, on top of everything that happened so far,**

**They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden. **

**They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog which filled the whole space between the ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.**

"Ok, why the hell is that in a school!" cried Draco in shock his jaw had dropped to the ground.

"That is a very good question, would either of you three care to answer that or you going to say either, you'll find out in a certain book, or you'll find out later." Said Andromeda.

"The last one," laughed Harry.

**It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that**, **there was no mistaking what the thunderous growls meant. **

**Harry groped for the doorknob – between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.**

**They fell backwards – Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared – all they wanted to do was put as much as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.**

"That's a wise idea that you four - just run from the three-headed dog called Fluffy," said Lily wide-eyed and breathing deeply.

"Why would you name a three-headed dog Fluffy? Wouldn't you name it something like Slayer or Killer!" said Severus who couldn't understand how you could name a three-headed dog Fluffy!

"If you knew who it belonged to, you would understand the name!" said Harry laughing.

"**Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their dressing-gowns hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.**

"**Never mind that – pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling into armchairs. **

**It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed looked as if he'd never speak again.**

"**What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog need exercise, that one does."**

**Hermione had got both her breath and bad temper back again.**

"I do not have a bad temper!" she snapped for the third time in five minutes. Nobody said anything but many locked eyes with one another trying to hide a smile.

"**You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"**

"**The floor?" suggested Harry. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads. All three of them."**

"**No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."**

"You're not suggesting that, it could possibly be guarding the thing that Hagrid took out of the Volt in Gringotts. Are you?" asked Narcissa her perfectly shaped eyebrows raised high into her hair line.

"Yeah" said Bellatrix "Listen to the rest of it!"

**She stood up, glaring at them**.

"**I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled.**

"Wait, Hermione how can been killed be worse than been expelled?" Sirius asked her confused.

"To be fair with you Sirius, I don't have a clue." She said smiling shyly at how silly she sounded.

"**Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed," **

**Ron stared after her, his mouth open.**

"**No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"**

**But Hermione had given Harry something to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something… What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide – except perhaps Hogwarts.**

**It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was. **

"That's the end of the chapter," said Bellatrix.

"So we've discovered, that both Draco and Harry cannot stand each other, Harry is also the youngest Quidditch player of the century as he is now on the Gryffindor team playing Seeker. We also now know there is a massive dog with three heads that we presume is guarding the thing in the package that was taken from Gringotts." Summed up Remus of the events in the last chapter.

"I have to say this has been a very interesting chapter and we're slowly putting pieces about what is happening together." Said Lucius who was getting more in to the book.

"I've realised, and maybe Alice and Narcissa are going through the same thought of mind as I am; this has to be the most stressful experience of my life so far!" Both Alice and Narcissa nodded their head in agreement to what Lily had said.

"It's only going to get more emotional and stressful. And I'm sure there are going to be books where the mothers to be have emotional break downs and panic attacks." Said Hermione sympathising with the women, who looked at one another and groaned.

"Well we best get on to the next chapter, or we won't finish the book today." Said Dumbledore, and everyone else nodded their heads in agreement.

* * *

**Please Review; I'm very happy with how this turned out. Don't forget to keep voting for who you wanted to arrive next. The next person will enter in the second book, I may even invite 2 people if i'm feeling in a giving mood :) **

**Lottie xx**


	12. Hallowe'en

Woo here is the next chapter, tbh I'm not sure how I feel about this. So just read it and let me know! ENJOY

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**Hallowe'en **

"Now who'd like to read who already hasn't?" Dumbledore looked around the group of students.

"I will," volunteered Neville taking the book from the Headmaster. "This chapter is called** Hallowe'en**"

"Are we that far into the school year already?" gasped Lily surprised, they had really only just started September and now they were at the end of October.

"Yeah it'd be a really long book if we were still in September," explained Hermione; Lily understanding what she meant nodded her head and waited for the story to begin.

**Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. Indeed, by next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure and they were quite keen to have another one.**

"Hmm, I take that back if I never have an adventure again I'll be the happiest man alive," exclaimed Ron as Hermione, Harry, Neville and Draco chuckled at what he said.

"Same here," announced Hermione and Harry simultaneously.

"You three are really weird! You see a three-headed dog and you want to go back and do it, even we're not that bad!" cried James confused at his sons behaviour it was like he wants to get killed.

"I guess we got hit by the adventure bug," chuckled Harry as the present five new what he meant.

"After that experience I never wanted to go through anything like that again!" exclaimed Neville.

**In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection. **

"**It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.**

"**Or both," said Harry**

**But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was further.**

**Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near that dog again.**

"See James my son has some sense if you see a three-headed dog you don't go near it again!" said Frank taunting the head Marauder.

"Well Frank my son is showing his Gryffindor courage," he fought back.

"Nar he's just been foolish," Draco butted in who was then smacked around the head. Scowling at Harry he rolled his eyes and waited for Neville to continue reading.

**Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus.**

Hermione glared at both boys who were hoping the ground would swallow them up and quick.

**All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived with the post about a week later.**

"You two should have been placed in Slytherin," snorted Lucius, he had seen more Slytherin qualities than Gryffindor ones. Harry and Ron looked at Lucius and smirked neither could imagine being in Slytherin but could see were Lucius was coming from, unfortunately.

**As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at one by a long thin package carried by six large screech owls. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon on the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top the parcel.**

**Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:**

**DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.**

**It contains your Nimbus Two Thousand,**

**But I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session.**

**Professor McGonagall.**

"Professor that isn't fair, if it was us in that situation you wouldn't do that for us!" wined James seeing the injustice in the situation.

"Favouritism!" shouted Draco; the other Slytherins nodded their head in agreement.

"Neville!" whispered Hermione her eyes darting to the book.

**Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed Ron the note to read.**

"**A Nimbus Two-Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one!" **

**They left the Great Hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first lesson, but halfway across the Entrance Hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.**

"**That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite.**

"Jealousy!" winked Harry laughing at Draco as he scowled venomously at Harry.

"I wasn't jealous!" he replied harshly, however nobody believed him.

"**You'll be for it this time, Potter; first-years aren't allowed them."**

**Ron couldn't resist.**

"**It's not any old broomstick," he said, "It's a Nimbus Two-Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets are flashy, but they're not in the same league at the Nimbus.**

"Oh Ronald, you then complain when he says things to you, you're both as bad as one another," sighed Hermione.

"**What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up, twig by twig.**

**Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.**

"**Not arguing, I hope boys?" he squeaked.**

"**Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor." Said Malfoy quickly.**

"**Yes, yes that's right," said Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"**

"**A Nimbus Two-Thousand, sir," Harry, fighting not to laugh as the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.**

**Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.**

"**Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase. "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be in the team.**

"**So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from behind them. **

"Bet its Hermione," laughed Narcissa.

"Yup," she mumbled, "God I'm so annoying I can't believe how bad I actually were."

"Finally you now see what we had to put up with all those years ago," said Ron not thinking what he was saying.

"Ronald you are still no better now, so don't you think about saying anything else," she snarled.

**Hermione was stomping up the stairs looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.**

"**I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.**

"**Yes, don't stop now;" said Ron, "It's doing us so much good."**

**Hermione marched away with her nose up in the air.**

**Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day.**

"That's a problem you still suffer with Harry," Harry grinned guiltily at Hermione and then glanced to his mother who didn't look very happy to hear that little information courtesy from Hermione.

"I have concentrations problems, so shoot me," he said acting innocent.

"Well after what we've heard that would only hurt you and not kill you," winked Alice who ducked a pillow Lily threw in her direction. "Where did you get the pillow from!"

"Magic," replied Lily.

**It kept wondering up to the dormitory, where his new broomstick was lying under his bed, or straying off to the Quidditch pitch where he'd be learning to play that night.**

"Awwww, bless him. Don't you find it sweet how back in the day the only thing that excited a guy was his broomstick in his bedroom, where as now they hope to get you in the bedroom," said Narcissa looking at Lucius who had a large smirk on his face.

"Ugh, excuse me, son in the room! Doesn't want to know the things that go on behind closed doors," Draco's skin had turned a little green at the thought of his parents having sex.

"Oh sorry Draco, something I take you don't want to think about," giggled Narcissa.

"Yes, you don't have the image of your late 30s parents getting hot and heavy under the covers, trust me if you saw the state of my father at the moment enough would be said!" declared Draco.

"That's true, but I doubt your father will be getting laid until he's let's say cleaned up a little." Chuckled Hermione. Draco knew what she was talking about.

"I hope you're are right Granger!"

"Wait why what do I look like," asked Lucius desperate to know what he had done.

"You'll find out in the 7th book, and before you say it no not the 3rd book!" Hermione looked directly at the four Marauders.

"Wasn't going to say anything, honest, Hermione!" said Sirius looking far too innocent.

**He bolted his dinner that evening without even noticing he was eating and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two-Thousand at last.**

"**Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled on to Harry's bedspread.**

**Even Harry, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two-Thousand written in gold near the top.**

**As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off towards the Quidditch pitch in the duck. He'd never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the pitch so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the pitch were three golden poles with hoops on the end.**

"Please tell me this chapter won't be all about Quidditch?" sighed Lily she hated Quidditch talk. Hearing it 24/7 from the Marauders; mainly James and Sirius.

"No, this is the chapter were Ron, Harry and I become friends." Said Hermione as she saw Lily's eyes widen in delight.

"Wow, finally I've been wondering how," Lily said smiling.

"It's a thrilling way to make friendship, I can positively say not one of you will have become friends with anybody in this way," chuckled Harry, Neville and Draco looked at the Boy who lived confused.

**They reminded Harry of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.**

**Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling – he swooped in and out of the goalposts and then sped up and down the pitch. The Nimbus Two-Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch.**

"**Hey, Potter, come down!"**

**Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him.**

"**Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant …you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, and then you'll be joining team practice three times a week.**

**He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.**

"**Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three are called Chasers,"**

"That's my position, it's the best feeling ever when you're in the air winning for your team," sighed Sirius with a dreamy expression on his handsome face.

"**Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a football.**

"**This ball's the Quaffle," said Wood "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"**

"**The chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited, "So- that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"**

"**What's Basketball?" said Wood curiously. **

"**Never mind," said Harry quickly.**

"What is basketball?" asked Regulus curious.

"Basketball is a team sport, you basically bounce the ball and shoot in the two hoops, and the teams are sexed, so you'll have boys only versing boys, girls' only versing girls. It's extremely popular in America," explained Hermione as easily as possible, hoping not to confuse the Purebloods.

"**Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper – I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around out hoops and stop the other team from scoring." **

"**Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Harry who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. OK, go that that. So what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.**

"**I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."**

**He handed Harry a small club, a bit like a rounders bat.**

"What's rounders?"

"It's a popular game played in sport in Muggle Schools, you have two teams and you alternate it from being a fielder and a batter. The winner at the end of the games is those that have scored the most rounders. You get rounders by running around the four posts.

"**I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers."**

**He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.**

"**Stand back," Wood warned Harry. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.**

**At once, the black ball raised high in the air and then pelted straight at Harry's face. Harry swung at it with the bat to stop it breaking his nose and sent it zigzagging away into the air – it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin to the ground.**

"That's pretty impressive stuff for a 1st year Harry, I'm impressed" said McGonagall who had hidden excitement bubbling under the surface.

Harry blushed at the comment; snickers from ever side of him caused the redness to darken.

"**See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. **

"**The Bludgers rocket around trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team. The Weasley twins are ours – it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them towards the other team. So – think you've got all that?"**

"**Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goalposts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Harry reeled off.**

"Yeah I'd say he's got it," James chuckled while the other Marauders shook their heads at their friend.

"You really have to comment on that Potter, it was slightly obvious he knew!" drawled Bellatrix unimpressed at the pointless comment.

"Look Black, if I want to comment then I'll comment when I feel like it, even if it's what you'd say is pointless." Snapped James, he glared at the fiery raven haired which."

"**Very good," said Wood.**

"**Err – have Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded off hand.**

"**Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you, and you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers –"**

"**- unless they crack my head open."**

"**Don't worry, the Weasley's are more than a match for the Bludgers – I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."**

"Is that true?" Lucius asked Ron, he was rather intrigued with the two Weasley twins. There hadn't been a lot on them yet and his curiosity had risen.

"Yeah, always causing mum trouble, running riot at school. But they were good at Quidditch and I mean very good at it," Said Ron however his heart wasn't in the explanation.

"Is everything alright Mr Weasley?" asked Dumbledore he suspected something had happened to one of the twins but wasn't quite sure.

"Yes I'm fine, just thinking that's all," he said smiling at Dumbledore but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

**Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright golf and had little fluttering silver wings.**

"**This," said Wood "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fat and difficult to see. It's the Seekers job to catch it. You've to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins the his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch can go on for ages – I think the record is three months, they had to keep brining on substitutes so they players could sleep."**

"Three months," gasped McGonagall shocked, "What teams were playing?"

"If I remember what my father said it was between Puddlemere united and Stonewall Stormers, at the end Puddlemere United one the match with 2,040 points to 1990 points," explained Draco.

"I wouldn't want to play for that team," said Regulus. He was an avid fan of Quidditch but the idea of playing on and off for 3 months was something he didn't fancy.

"**Well that's it – any questions?"**

**Harry shook his head he understood what he had to do but actually doing it would be the problem.**

"**We won't practise with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate. "It's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."**

**He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket, and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air. Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch.**

**Harry didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.**

"Awwww does this mean, the Quidditch talk is going to end this chapter?" asked Frank; Frank played Chaser for the Gryffindor team.

"I believe so Frank," said Ron, "but you'll get to find out about how Harry, Hermione and I get to become friends,"

"Oh yeah, but still no more Quidditch talk for a while," everyone laughed, Neville was surprised at how passionate his father was at Quidditch.

"**That Quidditch cup'll have our names on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out to be better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing Dragons."**

"A lot of people think highly of your brothers Quidditch skills!" said Snape in his normal oily voice.

"Yeah, when Charlie was at Hogwarts, Gryffindor always won the Quidditch cup, they were unbeatable. He was offered a chance to play for England when Ludo Bagman saw him play however he turned the offer down to go Romania to work with Dragons," Ron told the group.

"Wicked!" said James and Sirius simultaneously.

**Perhaps it was because he was so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Harry couldn't believe it when he realised that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive had ever done. His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.**

"The lessons to begin with are often boring as you are learning the basics to the lessons, you're also practising using magic with your wand," McGonagall said.

**On Hallowe'en morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practise Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (Which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye.)**

"You know, you might have been safer with me than Seamus Harry," laughed Neville.

"You're probably right," Harry smiled.

"Why what's wrong with this Seamus Finnigan?" asked Andromeda.

"Nothing is wrong with Seamus he's a nice guy but he has an exceptional knack of making things go BOOM!"

"BOOM! Right I've got it," Andromeda said confused. She really hadn't got it.

**Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione were angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.**

"**Now don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practising!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on his pile of books as usual. "Swish and Flick, remember to swish and flick, and saying the magic words properly is very important, too – never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest.**

"Wow, so lessons really haven't changed then," muttered Peter to Remus.

"That's what I thought, did we learn swish and flick in our first term as a 1st year?" he asked Peter, who in response nodded his head.

**It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked but the feather they were supposed to be sending towards the sky just sat there on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it – Harry had to put it out with his hat. **

"Ah now I see BOOM!" said Andromeda.

"Yup BOOM, it's always going BOOM when Seamus touches things, like turning water into wine," Hermione laughed at Harry's explanation Seamus.

"Water in to wine?" McGonagall shook her head surprised a first year would attempt that.

**Ron at the next table wasn't having much more luck.**

"**Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.**

"**You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing – gar –dium Levi – o – sa making the 'gar' nice and long. **

"**you do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.**

**Hermione tolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand and said "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

**Their feathers rose of the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.**

"**Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping/ "Everyone see here, Miss Granger has done it!"**

"Why Miss Granger, you really are a very intelligent young witch," complimented Dumbledore.

"Why thank you say," blushed Hermione slightly.

**Ron was in a very bad temper by the end of class.**

"**It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor. "She's a nightmare, honestly."**

**Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face – and was startled to see that she was sin tears.**

"Oh Hermione," sighed Lily.

"I know how you feel," said Snape. Hermione thought about what Snape had said it never came to her mind that Snape had trouble making friends. Specially been bullied by the Marauders who were extremely popular in the school. Probably most people in the school were afraid to befriend the oily haired Slytherin fear of being pranked by the Marauders. She smiled up at Snape from her seat on the floor, showing him he had a friend in her.

"**I think she heard you,"**

"**So?" said Ron, but looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she had no friends."**

**Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Hallowe'en feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvarti Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' toilets and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still ore awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Hallowe'en decorations put Hermione out of their minds.**

Hermione huffed, while Draco snickered at the two Gryffindors.

**A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in a low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet. **

**Harry was just helping himself to a jacket potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the Hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table and gasped, "Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know."**

**He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.**

"Omg there's a troll in the dungeons! How did that get in!" panicked Narcissa grabbing Lucius hand that was now trying to calm his girlfriend down.

"Wait a minute, I don't like the sound of this," said Remus his first showed he was deep in thought.

"Why's that Lupin?" asked Snape

"Well this is the chapter, Harry and Ron become friends with Hermione. There is a Troll loose and Hermione is in the girls toilets. Think about it!" Remus said to him.

"I still don't get what you're talking about." He drawled.

"I just have this feeling that the Troll and their friendship are linked," the trio said nothing just grinned as Draco and Neville looked at them alarmed the puzzle of how they became friends was now clear in their minds.

"You've got to be kidding us," Draco whispered in Hermione's ear. She looked at the blonde and winked.

**There was uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.**

"**Prefect," he rumbled, "lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!"**

**Percy was in his element.**

The group laughed they had all realised in a short time what Percy was like.

"**Follow me! Stick together, first-years! No need to fear the troll if your follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first-years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a Prefect!"**

Ron shook his head; now that he was older he saw the way his brother acted more amusing than annoying.

"**How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.**

"**Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let one in for a Hallowe'en joke,"**

**They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.**

"**I've just thought – Hermione."**

"Oh thanks Harry, you just decide to remember me!" snapped Hermione scowling at him.

"Busy moment and all that, things kinda, you know, slip out of your mind," he replied guiltily.

"**What about her?" **

"**She doesn't know about the Troll,"**

**Ron bit his lip.**

"**Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy better not see us."**

**Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor and hurried off towards the girls' toilets. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.**

"Oh no!" gasped Narcissa. Lucius and Draco looked at one another shaking their heads and mumbling under their breath, women, luckily nobody heard.

"**Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin. Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view. **

"**What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"**

"**Search me."**

**Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps/**

"**He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.**

"**Can you smell something?"**

"This better not be food Weasley," said Bellatrix.

"No it does not so don't worry your highness," snapped Ron smirking like a Slytherin.

**Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilets no one seems to clean. And then they heard it – a low grunting and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed: at the end of a passage way to the left, something huge was moving towards them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.**

**It was horrible. Twelve feet tall, it's skin was a dull, granite grey, it's great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick like tree trunks with flat horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because it's arms were too long.**

"They sound horrid! I never want to face one of those on a dark night," shuddered Alice.

"Don't even think about saying you are going to go fight a Mountain Troll!" cried Lily, her eyes wide and her face a slight shade of red.

"Okay I won't say it!" Whimpered Harry.

"Miss Even please try and calm down," said Dumbledore cautiously, not wanting to anger the young girl anymore.

Calm down, you want me to calm down! How do you expect me to calm down when my child is facing death in the eyes?"

"Lily, Lily, MUM!" she looked at him "it's just a Mountain Troll, like Ron said in the book their stupid, stop panicking so much. I'm not dead!" Lily just sat taking deep breathes.

**The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled it's long ears, making his tiny mind up, then slouched slowly in to the room.**

"**They keys in the lock," We could lock it in."**

"Watch that be the girls' bathroom," muttered Snape to Lucius who agreed.

**"Good idea," said Ron nervously.**

**They edged towards the open door, mouths dry, praying the Troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door shut and lock it.**

**"Yes!"**

**Flushed with their victory they started to run back up the passage but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop – a high petrified scream – and it was coming from the chamber they'd just locked up.**

"Hermione," everyone whispered bar the five.

"Oh no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.

**"It's the girls' toilets!" gasped Harry.**

**"Hermione!" they said together.**

**It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic – Harry pulled the door open – they ran inside.**

**Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The Troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.**

**"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and seizing a tap he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.**

**The Troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, and then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.**

"It doesn't hurt you does it?" asked Alice nervously. The trio thought about what she said and honestly said they couldn't remember.

"That's a good sign then," mumbled Frank, holding Alice's hand.

**"Oi Pea-brain!" Yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The Troll didn't even seem to notice the pip hitting it's shoulder, but it hears the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout towards Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.**

**"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her towards the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.**

"I guess the Muggle expression petrified with fright, comes to mind there," said Lily. Hermione nodded her head in agreement.

"I'd know what to do now, I don't freeze up in fear anymore either," she smiled.

**The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the Troll berserk. It roared again and started towards Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.**

**Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid:**

"Oh damn it!" muttered James.

**He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the Troll's neck from behind. The Troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a Troll would notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he jumped – it had gone straight up one of the Troll's nostrils.**

"Eww, Harry that's just disgusting!" cringed Narcissa wrinkling her nose.

"Woah have you noticed how much Narcissa looks like her elder self when she wrinkles her nose up like that?" Neville whispered to Hermione but Harry, Ron and Draco heard.

"I thought that, like she has a bad smell up her nose," Ron said knowing Draco could hear.

"Shut it Weasley!" growled Draco quietly.

**Howling in pain, the Troll twisted and failed its club with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second the Troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.**

**Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand – not knowing what he was going to do he heard him cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

"So that was why that particular lesson was important!" said Sirius.

"Yup, I think things at the start of the chapter sometimes gives clues to what could be happening in the next chapter or later on in this chapter," Draco alleged.

**The club flew suddenly out of the Troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over – and dropped, with a sickening crack, on to its owners head. The troll swayed in the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.**

**Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.**

**It was Hermione who spoke first.**

**"Is it – dead?"**

**"I don't think so," said Harry. I think it's just been knocked out."**

**He bent down and pulled his wand out of the Troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy grey glue.**

"Eww Troll bogies" Andromeda said.

Neville chuckled "that's exactly what erm I think Ron said, or it could have been Harry, it doesn't say,"

**He wiped it on the Trolls trousers.**

**A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realised what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the Troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the Troll, let out a faint whimper and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.**

**Snape bent over the Troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind.**

**"What on Earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"**

**Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down.**

"Hey I was in shock that I actually managed the spell!" he defended himself poking his tongue out of his mouth, directly at Harry.

**Then a small voice came out of the shadows.**

**"Please Professor McGonagall – they were looking for me."**

**"Miss Granger!"**

**Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.**

**"I went looking for the Troll because I – I thought I could deal with it on my own – you know, because I've read all about them."**

**Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a down right lie to a teacher.**

"Not something she does very often!" Draco chuckled at how Hermione was willing to take the blame for the boy who lived and his sidekick the weasel.

"Shut up Malfoy," drawled Hermione.

**"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to go and get anybody, It was about to finish me off when they arrived."**

**Harry and Ron tried to look as though this wasn't the first time they had heard this story.**

"That actually was pretty difficult to do, we so shocked she hadn't ratted us out, but to allow herself to be in trouble to stop us from being in trouble. Well that wasn't the Hermione Granger we knew," Ron clarified.

**"Well – in that case …" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a Mountain Troll on your own?"**

**Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started to hand out sweets.**

This caused the entire room to burst into laughter, "me give out sweets, after what I have heard it's just darn right wrong."

"So Hermione doing what she did must really be obscure!"

**"Miss Granger, five points will be taken off Gryffindor for this," said McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."**

**Hermione left.**

**Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.**

**"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first-years could have taken on a fully-grown Mountain Troll. You each win Gryffindor 5 points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed or this. You may go."**

**They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the Troll, quite apart from anything else.**

**"We should get more than 10 points," Ron grumbled.**

"Yes I do agree with Mr Weasley there Minerva, only 5 points each for such a dangerous accomplishment should at least given them 15 each." Dumbledore told her.

"Thanks Sir," said Harry and Ron together.

"You are very welcome boys. Now Mr Longbottom will you please continue."

**"Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's"**

**"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you we did save her,"**

**"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him.**

**They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.**

**"Pig Snout," they said and entered.**

**The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione however stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed paused. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "thanks", and hurried off to get plates.**

**But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friends. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot Mountain Troll is one of them.**

"That's the end of the chapter," said Neville closing the book.

"I liked that one, but there wasn't much to really talk about though," Sirius thought aloud.

"You're right Mr Black, this chapter showed us about the chapters to come but nothing overly exciting happened."

"I disagree I think tackling a 12 foot Mountain Troll is very exciting, I know as a first year I couldn't have done it," said Peter nervously. He had been rather quiet this chapter and the Golden Trio had noticed this.

"It was an interesting chapter, but compared to what is to come in later books, it's nothing," Lily paled at the news Harry had just said.

"I wish you wouldn't say that Harry, you're gonna kill your mother before she has you!" said James alarmed.

"Should we go on to the next chapter now?" asked Regulus.

"If you like Mr Black,"

* * *

Please Please Review, Let me know what you think! It would really be appreciated.


	13. Quidditch

**Woop here is the 13th Chapter in the story so far. Bit of a Hermione/Draco banter and some Hermione/Snape reactions. Enjoyyy!**

* * *

**Quidditch **

"How many chapters are there in this book?" Lucius asked politely.

"There are 17 and we are on chapter 11 so who wants to read this chapter?" Hermione asked after answering Lucius's question.

"I guess I'll get my turn out of the way," said James, Hermione nodded her head in acceptance and handed James the book.

"Wicked this chapter is called **Quidditch**!" The females but Professor McGonagall groaned.

"Just what we need to hear a chapter all about Quidditch," moaned Narcissa. Draco stared at his mother-to-be and shuck his head; his mother always said Quidditch was a sport that held very little interest to her.

The males in the room were all looking forward to this chapter as every one of them either played Quidditch, had played Quidditch or was a big supporter of Quidditch.

"James will you just start the chapter so we can get it over and done with," sighed Lily, she enjoyed watching the games but she didn't hold the passion that the majority of the school had.

Muttering something along the lines of women he cleared his throat.

**As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows, defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch Pitch, bundled up in a moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves and enormous beaver skin boots.**

"He's dressed like he's a jungle!" exclaimed Frank in surprise.

"You aren't kidding," chuckled Draco whose thoughts had been on the same wave length.

**The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing his first match after weeks of training.**

"So that is why Quidditch has its very own chapter, it's for Prongslet's Quidditch game." Cried Sirius happily, the fellow Marauders and even Lily smiled at this.

**Gryffindor versus Slytherin.**

"Hmm probably not the best team to verse on your first Quidditch game as Slytherin's aren't known to play fairly," Professor McGonagall glanced at the Slytherins, which didn't go unnoticed by them "unless they play a lot different in the years that have passed,"

"Nar they still play the same," chuckled Harry while Draco smirked proudly.

**If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championships. **

**Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse – people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling he they'd be running around underneath him, holding a mattress.**

**It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend.**

"Awwww Harry," cooed Hermione until a thought appeared in her head, "wait why?" Harry shrugged he was in dark about this.

**He didn't know how he'd have got through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practise Wood was making them do. She had also lent him 'Quidditch through the Ages', which turned out to be a very interesting read.**

**Harry learnt that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them happened during a World Cup match in 1473.**

"Did they really?" asked Peter simply.

"Dunno but that is what the book said," shrugged Harry not really wanting to speak to Peter.

**That Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players and that most serious Quidditch accidents seem to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to disappear and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert. **

"How the bloody hell do they end up there?"

"I have no idea Ron but it would make a brilliant investigation," chuckled Harry, he made a mental note to check that book out again once they returned to their time.

**Hermione had become a bit more relaxed at breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll and she was much nicer for it. The day before first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during brake, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire which could be carried around in a jam jar.**

"That is some very good magic their Miss Granger and you are only in your first term still," Hermione blushed at her favourite Professor's compliment. Malfoy sniggered at the display until Hermione ever so kindly elbowed him in the chest.

**They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping.**

Everyone who didn't know why frowned.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione moved closer to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for the reason to tell them off anyway.**

"Snivellus, you foul git," cursed Sirius angrily.

"Mr Black stop with the insults this instant" snapped McGonagall instantly. But Snape just scowled at him, Hermione tried to catch his eye but the boys black eyes were fixed on to Sirius.

"**What's that you've got there, Potter?**

**It was 'Quidditch through the Ages, Harry showed him.**

"**Library books are not to be taken outside the school," Said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."**

"That isn't even a rule," this time it was Lily that glared at Snape but he reacted differently to before, he lowered his head ashamed although this time he caught Hermione's eye. She sent him a sad smile and he returned one with his own. This however didn't go unnoticed by Draco.

"Granger, you best not be falling for Snape, he's 19 years older than you and I thought you were with Weasley?"

"I am with Ron and I am not falling for Snape I'm hoping if he sees that someone actually cares for him he won't fall down the rabbit hole and into He Who Must Not Be Name's clutches," she hushed back to Draco. He thought carefully about what she had said and could see the potential in her words.

"**He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's with his leg?"**

"**Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.**

"Ronald! You can't say that no matter how much you – dislike the man. He is your Professor after all," Hermione had forgotten where she was for that moment and scolded Ron as she would whenever he said something insulting. But Snape smiled, he was really beginning to see that she did care, and it wasn't just an act and Draco had noticed this. Groaning to himself he really hoped his future Godfather wouldn't fall head over heels in love with the female member of the Golden Trio.

**The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charm homework for them.**

"Something's haven't changed then," Draco mumbled quiet enough so only Hermione could hear.

**She would never let them copy ('how will you learn?'), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.**

**Harry felt restless. He wanted 'Quidditch through the Ages' back, to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Why should he be afraid of Snape?**

"Exactly why fear Severus, it's not like he is going to jump out and bite you," chuckled Regulus.

"Oh I dunno I could think of a few reasons to fear Professor Snape," said Draco ignoring the biting comment that was more of a reason to fear his third years DADA teacher.

"So could I!" said the four Gryffindors. The past occupants stared at them in surprised and then stared at Snape and back to them.

"Don't think I want to know why though," everyone heard Snape mumble.

**Getting up, he told Harry and Ron he was going to ask Snape if he could have it back.**

"**Rather you than me," they said together, but Harry had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there was other teachers listening. **

**He made his way down to the staff room and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing.**

**Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. He pushed the door ajar and peered inside – a horrible scene met his eye. **

"Snape in a ballerina costume"

"A Professor was having a child"

"McGonagall was topless!"

"Enough!" scowled Professor McGonagall glaring menacingly at Bellatrix who had been the one to speak the last comment.

**Snape and Filch were inside, alone.**

The majority of the room paled at this but Harry laughed it wasn't the disturbing image that was going through everyone's minds. He was positively sure that Snape himself had turned green.

**Snape was holding his robes above his knee. One of his legs were bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.**

A sigh went through the room as the relief of what they thought was happing was not.

"**Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eye on all three heads at once?"**

**Harry tried to shut the door quietly but – **

"**POTTER!"**

**Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped.**

"**I just wondered if I could have my book back."**

The five from the future just laughed whereas everyone else looked at them like they had finally lost it.

"You actually asked for your book back when he was that angry. You're mad Potter," laughed Draco, even he wouldn't have done that.

"Yeah, probably should have just ran," the group were still looking at them all confused but said nothing about the scene that had just been played.

"**GET OUT! OUT!"**

**Harry left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. He sprinted back upstairs.**

"**Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's a matter?"**

**In a low whisper Harry had told them what he'd seen.**

"**You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "he tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en" That's where he was going when we saw him – he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to create a diversion!" **

"I'm glad I didn't bet my broomstick on it though," Harry mumbled to Ron, who hid a smile thinking the same thing.

**Hermione's eyes were wide.**

"**No – he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."**

"**Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put it past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?" **

"That's what I want to know," whined Alice, she looked at Snape and even though he was slimy and Slytherin she just couldn't see him doing it. With a look towards the Trio she was nearly sure he hadn't done it, but didn't want to say anything in case she was wrong. She'd just wait a little longer before voicing any doubts.

**Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with the same question. Neville was snoring loudly,"**

"Great first time I'm mentioned and I'm snoring loudly," complained Neville.

**But Harry couldn't sleep. He tried to empty his mind – he needed the sleep, he had to, he had his first Quidditch match in a few hours – but the expression on Snape's face when Harry had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget.**

**The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.**

"**You've got to eat some breakfast."**

"**I don't want anything."**

"**Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione **

"**I'm not hungry,"**

**Harry felt terrible. In hours' time he'd be walking on to the pitch.**

"**Harry you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who het nobbled by the other team."**

"Why he's really reassuring," Bellatrix said sarcastically.

"Yup, really helped with the feeling of nausea," Harry ruffled his black hair, he could remember his first ever Quidditch match, it was pretty obvious that after his first game the rest would shape up in a similar way.

"**Thanks Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.**

**By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.**

"That's because you go so fast, hell half of the time I can't tell who's who, other than Malfoy over there and that's because no one else in the Slytherin team has long blonde hair," announced Lily strongly.

"You played Quidditch?" Draco asked Lucius surprised he had never asked whether he played then again he had never looked at his father and thought he is a guy that looks like he would have played Quidditch in his childhood.

"Yes, I played Seeker from my second year to finale year when I was made Captain of the Slytherin team. Didn't you know?"

"Nope, I never really asked you, you're not someone you look at goes he played Quidditch when he was at Hogwarts." Lucius didn't reply but thought what Draco had said. He couldn't understand why he looked like someone who didn't play. He guessed he just had to wait and found out.

**Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus and Dean the West Ham fan in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potter for President and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colours.**

"That sounds pretty cool!" said Sirius. "But how are you so good at charms for a first year Hermione?"

"I read an awful lot, I'm really far ahead in class." She told him.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Professor Flitwick didn't love teaching you," chuckled Professor McGonagall.

"Professor every Professor loves teaching Hermione Granger but one," Draco didn't have to say who disliked teaching her; it had already been made known a few chapters back.

**Meanwhile, in the changing rooms, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).**

**Wood cleared his throat for silence. **

"**Ok men," he said.**

"**And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.**

"There are women players on the team?" asked Remus.

"Yup, don't you have women playing here?" Harry asked directing his question to his father who he knew to be Captain.

"We have done but not for a while, the majority of time the girls don't volunteer, as it's too dangerous or they volunteer but are not very good." James explained.

"**And Women," Wood agreed. "This is it."**

"**The big one," said Fred Weasley. **

"**The one we've all been waiting for," said George.**

"**We know Oliver's speech off by heart," Fred told Harry. "We were in the team last year."**

"**Shut up you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor has had in years. We're going to win. I know it."**

**He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."**

"**Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."**

**Harry followed Fred and George out of the changing room and hoping his knees weren't going to give away, walked on to the pitch to loud cheers.**

"Scariest thing I HAVE ever done!" declared Harry. Those who had played Quidditch chuckled knowing how he felt. But Draco, Neville, Ron and Hermione were giving him an odd look.

"Are you being serious Harry, after everything you've done and faced that is the scariest thing you've ever done?" Neville finally asked. Harry thought about what Neville had said and merely shrugged his shoulders.

**Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the pitch, waiting for the two teams, her broom in hand.**

"**Now, I want a nice fair game, from all of you," she said, once they gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint a fifth-year.**

"It's awful to say but man he was really ugly," Draco, Harry, Ron and Neville laughed at Hermione's accusation, she pouted as they continued to laugh.

"Try sharing a common room with him," Draco said still chuckling at her blunt comment.

"James just continue!"

**Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him.**

This caused Draco to laugh harder. The four future Gryffindor's looked at him warily and shifted away from him. When he finally overcome the fits of laughter he looked to everyone. "That's exactly why Flint is so ugly, he does have some troll in him, and his mother married a man who was half human half troll. His father is dead now, died when he was a kid so I was told." Everyone's eyes had widened in surprise.

"You mean Dumbledore actually let someone who was a Half-Breed into the school!" cursed Bellatrix with the look of a pungent smell under her nose.

"What's wrong with a Half-Breed Bellatrix?" Harry asked her, his eyes ever so slightly glanced at Remus who paled significantly when he saw who Harry was looking out from the corner of his eye.

Everyone could see she was tempted to saying something cruel but her eye had been caught by the glare of Albus Dumbledore and said "Nothing I was just surprised," but everyone knew she wanted to say something else.

**Out of the corner of his eye he saw the banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. His heart skipped a beat he felt braver. **

Ron, Hermione and Neville smiled.

**Harry clambered on to his Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Madam Hooch gave a very loud blast on her silver whistle.**

**Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off. **

"**And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent Chaser that girl is, rather attractive too –"**

"**JORDAN!"**

"**Sorry Professor." **

"This is going to be eventful," chuckled Regulus at the way the game had only just started. "Wasn't he a friend of your twin brothers Ron?"

"Yeah, this will make it eventful. Lee Jordan is a Gryffindor." The Slytherins groaned, the Gryffindors smirked and the Professors looked undecided whether they should be amused or dreading the experience to come.

**The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.**

"**And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good friend of Oliver Wood's last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no Slytherin have taken the Quaffle, Slytherins captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes – Flint flying like an eagle up there – he's going to sc – no, stopped by an excellent move from the Gryffindor Keeper, Wood and Gryffindor take the Quaffle – that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint. **

"I've just realised, all the Chasers for Gryffindor are women," smiled Alice who then closed into Franks' embrace as James scowled at her for interrupting him reading about Quidditch.

"**Off up the field and – OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger – Quaffle taken by Slytherin – that's Adrian Pucey"**

"He wasn't that bad looking," mumbled Hermione to herself, unfortunately she forgot she was seated next to Draco who had heard her and looked at her wide eyed. "What he was!" she defended herself as he continued to stare at her with his eyes wide.

"**Speeding off towards the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger – sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a speeding Bludger – the goal posts are ahead – come on, now, Angelina – Keeper Bletchley dives – misses – GRYFFINDOR SCORE!" **

"Yes Gryffindor scored!" cheered Sirius loudly, the other three rolled their eyes amused but the Slytherins weren't happy with the way it was turning out. And Draco – he was still staring at Hermione wide eyed.

**Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherin.**

"**Budge up there, move along."**

"**Hagrid!"**

**Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them. **

"**Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars round his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"**

"**Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."**

"**Kept outta trouble, thought, that's something," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skywards at the speck that was Harry.**

**Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.**

"**Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said, "We don't want you attacked before you have to be." **

"Until you have to be. That sounds promising," came the usual sarcastic common from Regulus.

"Reg shut up will you!" snapped Sirius a glaring competition between the two brothers. It was finally broken apart from Andromeda telling them both to knock it off. Even though she was the nice one, she looked a remarkable amount like Bellatrix when she was frustrated or angry.

"MALFOY! Will you stop staring at me like that," Hermione cried dragging the attention of everyone. Draco blushed slightly but regained his composure quickly, but side glancing her when she wasn't looking. He couldn't believe she had said Pucey was not bad looking from Hermione Granger that was saying he was very good looking.

**When Angelina had scored, Harry had let out a loop-the-loop to let out his feelings.**

The group laughed and Harry blushed.

"I don't know how you dare turn upside down on a broomstick," whispered Hermione.

**Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasley's wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannon ball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.**

"**All right there, Harry," he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously towards Marcus Flint.**

"**Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers."**

When Adrian Puceys name was mentioned Draco glanced at Hermione, catching him in the act she scowled at him.

"**Two Weasley's and Chaser Bell and speeds towards the – wait a moment – was that the Snitch?"**

**A mummer ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle; too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear. **

**Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downwards after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terrence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled towards the Snitch – all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in mid-air to watch.**

**Harry was faster than Higgs – he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead – he put on an extra spurt of speed.**

**WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below – Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose and Harry's broom span off course, Harry holding on for dear life. **

"How dare that foul loathsome cheating scum!" cried Sirius in disgust. James, Remus, Peter and Frank were also thinking the exact same but didn't vocal it.

"Harry they do know that this hasn't happened for them yet and has already happened for us right?" Ron whispered, Harry wasn't sure if they did or not so decided to stay quiet.

"**Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.**

**Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again. **

**Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"**

"**This isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him. "You can't send people off in Quidditch – and what's a red card?"**

**But Hagrid was on Dean's side.**

"**They oughta change the rules; Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air.**

**Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.**

"**So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating –"**

"**Jordan," growled Professor McGonagall.**

"Professor how can you do that Lee Jordan was telling the truth he did cheat and you're taking sides of the Slytherins." Snapped James shaking his head in disappointment.

"Mr Potter as a Professor I am not allowed to take sides really even though I agree with the boy,"

"Professor how can you say that was cheating, all Flint did was get in the way," smirked Snape, already defending his future Slytherin students. Professor McGonagall frowned at the greasy haired boy.

"**I mean, after that opening and revolting foul –"**

"**Jordan, I'm warning you –"**

"**All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor taken by Spinnet, who put it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession. **

**It was as Harry dodged another Bludger which was went spinning dangerously past his head that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.**

**It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off.**

"It sounds as if your broom is bewitched Harry," said Andromeda.

"Yeah, but just keep listening, it's an entertaining ending." He told her.

**But Nimbus Two Thousand did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back towards the Gryffindor goalposts; he had half a mind to ask Wood to call time out – and then he realised that his broom was completely out of control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air and every now and then making violent swishing movements which almost unseated him. **

**Lee was still commenting.**

"**Slytherin in possession – Flint with the Quaffle – passes Spinnet – passes Bell – hit hard in the face with a Bludger, hope it broke his nose – only joking Professor – Slytherin score – oh no …" **

"He is a pretty good commentator slightly one sided but he makes it amusing." Narcissa admitted.

**The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went. **

"**Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom … but he can't have …"**

**Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.**

"**Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.**

"**Can't have," Hagrid said his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark Magic – no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."**

"Dark Magic," whispered Dumbledore scribbling the event quickly on to the parchment. He feared that if someone was attacking a boy at eleven then the poor boy had a very dangerous and corrupt future ahead of him. Dumbledore glanced at Harry he was afraid what the future books held would not be pleasant.

**At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.**

"**What are you doing?" moaned Ron, grey-faced.**

"**I knew it," Hermione gasped." Snape – look,"**

"Snape you better not be doing what I think they're implying." But Snape had gone pale he also believed he was doing what they had implied.

"What did we say before we started reading," Hermione sternly asked, "You will judge nobody because of their actions in the future, as it hasn't happened yet!"

**Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering non-stop under his breath.**

"**He's doing something – jinxing the broom," said Hermione**

"**What should we do?"**

"**Leave it to me."**

**Before Ron could say another word Hermione had disappeared.**

"What are you going to do Hermione?" asked Lily but all Hermione did was smile shyly and then guiltily in Severus Snape's direction.

**Ron turned the binoculars back onto Harry; his broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd were on their feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasley's flew up to try and pull Harry safely on to one of their brooms but it was no good – every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing. **

The group laughed, it seemed that Slytherins no matter what decade it was would continue to score no matter what was happening around them in a game of Quidditch. Neville, Draco, Hermione, Harry and Ron had discovered this while Bellatrix was explaining a game in her 1st year at Hogwarts. The Hufflepuff Chaser had been knocked clean out of the sky by a Bludger and fell five hundred yards to the ground, taking down the Slytherin beater who was below them and hadn't seen them fall. While all this was going on the Slytherin Chasers continued to score goals.

**Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.**

**Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her want and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand on to the hem of Snape's robes.**

"Miss Granger, I am shocked. Never did I think you'd do something like that to a Professor!" Hermione hung her head in shame, but not before elbowing Draco who was trying to stifle his laughter. She glanced up at Severus and was shocked to see he had an amused grin on his face, she smiled shyly back at him.

**It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realise he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket she scrambled back along the row – Snape would never know what had happened. **

"Until he listened to the events by Potter seven years after it happened to the elder me, but 13 or so years before it had happened for him." Said Snape smirking he had found the whole situation pretty funny.

"Yeah until that happened," she mumbled.

**It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.**

"**Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.**

"Move on I don't even want to mention why the bloody hell I was crying," snapped Neville before anyone could say anything. His face a bright red. The rest of the group were either smirking, trying to hold back their laughter or both.

**Harry was speeding towards the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand towards his as though he was about to be sick.**

"Oh Harry it's just not your Quidditch game," sighed Lily looking at the boy, but to her surprise he was smiling right at her.

**He hit the pitch on all fours – coughed – and something gold fell into his hand.**

"**I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in confusion.**

The room was full of congratulations Harry. I knew you could do it. That's the weirdest way for a game of Quidditch to finish.

"**He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference – Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the result – Gryffindor had one by one hundred and seventy points to the Slytherins sixty. Harry heard none of this, though. He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione. **

"**It was Snape," Ron was explaining. "Hermione and I saw him." He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you.**

"**Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do something' like that?"**

**Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.**

"**I found something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."**

**Hagrid dropped the teapot.**

"**How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.**

"**Fluffy?"**

"**Yeah – he's mine –"**

"Now I understand the name Fluffy," chuckled Dumbledore, but everyone else was in shock. Draco was the first to overcome this.

"That man – giant really needs to know what pet is a good pet to have and what pet is not a good pet to have. Why can't he have normal ones that normal people have."

"Well Hagrid isn't exactly normal he's half a giant, and it gets worse wait until you meet Norbert!" said Harry.

"What's Norbert?" asked Peter dreading the answer.

"You'll see," chuckled Ron.

"**Bough' him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' yer – I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the –"**

"**Yes?" said Harry eagerly.**

"**Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."**

"**But Snape's trying to steal it."**

"**Rubbish" said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher; he'd do nothing of the sort."**

"**So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione.**

**The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape.**

"**I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid; I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"**

"**I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try and kill a student. Now, listen to me, all three of yeh – yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guarding', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel –"**

"**Aha!" said Harry. So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved is there?"**

**Hagrid looked furious with himself.**

"That's the end of this chapter," said James closing the book. They had learned quite a bit about from this chapter. Firstly they had discovered that Snape had been bitten by Fluffy, then Harry was to play in the Quidditch game and then nearly get killed by Snape jinxing his broom and then they had learnt Nicolas Flamel was involved in something.

"Who is Nicolas Flamel?" asked Regulus. Before Dumbledore could explain Ron jumped in saying not to say anything, they would find out in the next chapter.

"I've come up with one conclusion to all this," said Frank. Everyone looked at him waiting to continue. "Hagrid should stop going to the pub if he gets pets like that," everyone chuckled at what he said.

"Seriously though his pets just keep getting worse as the years go on," Harry told them shaking his head, the image or Aragog the giant spider appearing in his head.

"I don't know I even want to continue reading, even Quidditch is more dangerous than usual," sighed Lily.

"We have no choice; we've got to keep reading these books." Said Neville.

"You know what Granger," whispered Draco, "I learnt today that you always thought Adrian Pucey was good looking. Wait till I see him when we get back." Hermione scowled at him, imaging him as the fuzzy white blonde ferret.

"Watch it Malfoy or you'll be a ferret again!"

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**Please review everyone! :)**


	14. Mirror of Erised

**I'm back, I'm sorry it has taken forever to get this chapter posted but it was a very long chapter and did take along time to write. But it's here so do enjoy :)**

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**Mirror of Erised **

Draco retreated from Hermione not wishing to become a ferret for the second time in his short life.

"Who wishes to read next?" Dumbledore asked when the room had fallen silent. He had been impressed with how the Gryffindors and Slytherins had been getting on. He suspected that the presence of those from the future was having an interesting effect on the students.

"If nobody else wants to then I'll read," offered Hermione she had secretly wanted to read for quite some time but did not want to push it too much. When nobody else offered Hermione was handed the book. "The next chapter is called **The ****Mirror ****of ****Erised**"

"And the plot thickens," said Ron knowing exactly what the Mirror of Erised was.

"Secrets are unfolded," Harry followed.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this chapter" mumbled Andromeda shaking her head.

"What secrets are we on about?" asked Narcissa.

"You'll soon see but all I have to say it is mentioned in every single book!" Harry wasn't going to tell them about his father's invisibility clock because he knew they'd learn about it soon. "Will you read Hermione?" Neville asked her. She nodded her head and begun.

**Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. **

"Has anyone noticed how often Professor Quirrell's turban has been mentioned?" voiced Alice curiously there had been a numerous amount of occasions were the turban had been mentioned. She noticed Dumbledore scribble something on his parchment, most likely from her comment but she was suspicious about why.

**The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver post had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.**

**No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the draughty corridors had become icy and bitter wind rattled the windows in the classroom. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.**

"How the hell did that man not catch his death because of the coldness of that room," bellowed Ron shivering as he remembered.

"I don't really feel the cold all that much," muttered Snape shrugging his shoulders like it was normal.

"**I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one potions lesson, "for all those people who had to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."**

**He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that Slytherin had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as a Seeker next. Then he realised that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family.**

"I was never jealous!" snapped Draco looking away from everyone, however the other just looked and smirked shaking their heads in amusement.

**It was true that Harry wasn't going to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come round the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would most likely be the best holiday he'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were also staying because Mr and Mrs Weasley were going to Romania to visit their brother Charlie who lived in Romania.**

"Has your brother always been interested in Dragons?" asked Lucius who was also fascinated by them.

"Yeah I don't personally see what is so interesting about Dragons. They're not something I see myself getting into when I'm older," said Ron thinking to the past experiences he had shared with Dragons.

"That makes two of us, I've had enough of Dragons to last me a life time," chuckled Harry as he caught both Ron and Hermione smirking.

"Why?" Lily looked suspicious, "How many times have you come across a Dragon Harry Potter?"

"A few but you'll learn all about that later." He told her.

"Great I can't wait," she said sarcastically causing Harry to laugh.

**When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that it was Hagrid behind it.**

"Surely the enormous feet gave that away and the fact nobody else could possibly carry a large fir tree with brutal strength." Said Remus like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"**Hi Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.**

"How do you do that?" asked Bellatrix attempting to picture the image in her head.

"I have no idea how I did it, but I did," shrugged Ron, he like Bellatrix was also trying to picture the image. He couldn't remember placing his head through a tree.

"**Nah I'm alright thanks Ron," **

"**Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be a gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose – that hut Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."**

"This isn't looking good for me," muttered Draco as he listened to Hermione read.

**Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.**

"**WEASLEY!" **

**Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.**

"**He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."**

"I bet he gets off Scott free and you get in trouble," said Sirius scowling at Snape, who lowered his head.

"**Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."**

**Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.**

"Do Malfoy's do anything but smirk?" asked Alice to herself, she had not meant to say it out loud, but when she looked up she saw two scowling blondes. "Ah so you scowl as well as smirk?"

"I'd shut up if I was you Prewett!" snarled Lucius. She smiled innocently at him but the scowl on his face just deepened. Mumbling about moody blondes under her breath it was only Lily that heard her.

"**I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "One of these days, I'll get him –"**

"**I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape," **

"**Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."**

"**So Harry, Ron and Hermione followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations. **

"**Ah, Hagrid, the last tree – put it in the far corner, would you?"**

**The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls and no fewer than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.**

"That sounds so beautiful," gasped Andromeda. She had always loved how Hogwarts looked through the Christmas season.

"It was a remarkable sight," admitted Hermione who could see it clearly in her mind.

"**How many days you got left until your holidays?" Hagrid asked.**

"**Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me – Harry, Ron we've got half an hour before lunch we should be in the library," **

"You're going to the library on the second to last day before your holidays. You are mad," said Narcissa who enjoyed reading a good book but wouldn't have stepped in to the library days before they were to leave for home.

"We had our reasons," said Harry smiling at the memory.

"**Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.**

"**The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the Hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"**

"**Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicholas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."**

"**You what?" said Hagrid looking shocked. "Listen here – I've told yeh – drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guarding.**

"**We just want to know who Nicholas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione**

"**Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. **

"Very smooth Potter very smooth," drawled Lucius impressed at the first year Harry's work.

"**We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere – just give us a hint – I know I've read his name somewhere."**

"**I'm sayin' nothin'," said Hagrid flatly.**

"**Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.**

"You did read Nicholas Flamel earlier on, you were on the train right?" said Lily thinking back.

"Yeah but that was 4 months ago for me then so I couldn't remember it," explained Harry

**They had been searching books on Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were the going to find out what Snape was trying to steal?**

"Once you set your mind on something you really don't give in till you've found it," laughed Frank who found their searching slightly amusing.

"I'm glad you find it amusing Frank, but I do not find it funny," said Lily frustrated about the events. "Why couldn't you just let it go?" she then addressed the trio.

"Erm like Frank said once something is in our mind it doesn't go till we've succeeded." Said Harry simply hoping to not stress his mother out anymore.

**The ****trouble ****was, ****it ****was ****very ****hard ****to ****know ****where ****to ****begin, ****not ****knowing ****what ****Flamel ****might ****of ****done ****to ****get ****himself ****in to ****a ****book. ****He ****wasn****'****t ****in **_**Great **__**Wizards **__**of **__**the **__**Twentieth **__**Century **_**or ****Notable ****Magical ****Names ****of ****our****time; ****he ****was ****missing, ****too, ****from **_**Important **__**Modern **__**Magical **__**Discoveries, **_**and **_**A **__**study **__**of **__**recent **__**Developments **__**in **__**Wizardry. **_**And ****then ****of ****course, ****there ****was ****the ****sheer ****size ****of ****the ****library, ****tens ****of ****thousands ****of ****books; ****thousands ****of ****shelves; ****hundreds ****of ****narrow ****rows.**

"That is a stupid amount of books, especially when you are searching for one that holds information you need," said Andromeda who was a bit of a bookworm herself.

"I couldn't agree more," said Ron strongly.

**Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section.**

"You won't be allowed in there Prongslet," said Sirius announcing the obvious.

**He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you need a signed note from one of the teachers to look in any restricted books and he knew he'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts and only read by older students studying advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts. **

"Who takes or took that subject?" asked Hermione curious to learn more about the past selves of those she knew.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, James, Sirius, and Remus, Lily and Frank from the Gryffindors, for the Slytherins were Bellatrix, Snape and Lucius.

"So quite a lot of you, how come those that didn't take, not want too?"

There was a few replies of "didn't get a high enough mark in the Owls," and "don't need it for the job I want,"

"**What are you looking for boy?"**

"**Nothing," said Harry.**

**Madam Prince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him.**

"**You better get out, then. Go on – out!" **

**Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story Harry left the library. He, Ron and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not make ask Madam Prince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to.**

**Harry waited outside in the corner of the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for a fortnight, after all, but as they only had odd moments they really need was a nice long search without Madam Prince breathing down their necks.**

**Five minutes later, Hermione and Ron joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.**

"**You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you," said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."**

**"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."**

**"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.**

"I bet you can't get any safer than that," laughed Peter, forcing a smile on to her face Hermione nodded her head. Draco saw this and smirked rolling his eyes. He still didn't understand how someone who seemed so loyal to his friends betrays them and allow one to be killed and another to be thrown in Azkaban it was just surreal.

**Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. They had the dormitory to themselves as the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork – bread, crumpets marshmallows – and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.**

Draco scowled at the two boys who had large grins on their face, "It never did work," Harry said, "He's still here," the group smirked and chuckled at Harry's words.

**Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned.**

"Oi, not everything is battered!" defended Ron.

"Sorry," said Harry.

**It had once belonged to someone else in his family – in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted. **

**Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him and they didn't trust him at all. He wasn't a very good played yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing: "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him; we can afford to lose him."**

"Oh that's very nice of them," said Narcissa sarcastically. The group chuckled at the blondes words.

**On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all. **

"That's sad I'd hate to think that I wouldn't get any presents," said Alice sadly.

"I was used to it; the presents I got were often shit. So I wasn't expecting much," he told them smirking remembering the present that was about to come.

"What did you get from Santa then Potter?" Lucius joked smirking.

"You'll see," smiled Harry, laughing as everyone groaned but Hermione and Ron.

**When he awoke the next morning, the first thing he saw was a small pile of presents at the foot of his bed.**

"**Happy Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his dressing-gown. **

"**You too," said Harry. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"**

"**What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's.**

**Harry ****picked ****up ****the ****top ****parcel. ****It ****was ****wrapped ****in ****thick ****brown ****paper ****and ****scrawled ****across ****it ****was **_**To **__**Harry,**__**from **__**Hagrid. **_**Inside ****was ****a ****roughly ****cut ****wooden ****flute. ****Hagrid ****had ****obviously ****whittled ****it ****himself. ****Harry ****blew ****it**** – ****it ****sounded ****a ****bit ****like ****an ****owl.**

**A second, very small parcel contained a note.**

_**We received your message and enclose your Christmas present, From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.**_

"Oh wow they actually gave you a present!" said Lily in shock, the rest of the room was silent because of the news.

"You haven't heard what the gift was yet so don't build up your hopes but Ron was very impressed." Chuckled Harry as Ron glared at him.

**Sellotaped to the note was a fifty-penny piece.**

"What!" gasped Lily, "They gave you fifty pence? That's worse that nothing, how could they?" rambled Lily

"What is a fifty pence piece?" asked Regulus confused with Lily's exploded response.

"It's a piece of Muggle money it's not worth much, I'd say it's worth a little more than a Sickle but less than a Galleon," Hermione explained to the Purebloods in the room.

"**That's friendly," said Harry.**

**Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.**

"**Weird!" he said. "What a strange shape! This is money?" **

"**You can keep it," said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was. "Hagrid and my Aunt and Uncle and – so who sent these?" **

**I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, going a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My Mum, I told her you didn't expect any presents and – oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley jumper," **

"Awwww that's lovely of her," said Lily smiling, James agreed but sat sadly knowing he'd never get the chance to see his son on this Christmas.

**Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of home-made fudge.**

"**Every year she makes us a jumper," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine is always maroon."**

"**That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.**

**His next present also contained sweets – a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione.**

**This left only one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it.**

**Something fluid and slivery grey went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. **

"It can't be," whispered James in shock his hazel eyes wide looking at Sirius who was also in shock.

"What can't it be?" asked Snape before realising who he was talking too, but all Sirius and James did was shake their heads and looked towards the book nervously.

**Ron gasped.**

**I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every-Flavour Beans he'd got from Hermione. If that's what I think it is – they're really rare and really valuable.**

"**What is it?"**

**Harry picked the shinning, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to touch, like water women into material.**

"Now that sounds like an Invisibility cloak, but how would you have got hold of one of them Harry, and how would you two have known that," Dumbledore said glancing at James and Sirius who wouldn't make eye contact with their Headmaster.

"**It's an Invisibility Cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is – try it on."**

**Harry threw the Cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell.**

"**It is! Look down!"**

**Harry looked down at his feel, but they had gone. He dashed to the mirror, Sure enough; his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in mid-air, his body completely invisible. He pulled the Cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.**

**There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"**

**Harry pulled off the Cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words.**

_**Your father left this in my possession before he died.**_

_**It is time it was returned to you.**_

_**Use it well.**_

_**A very Merry Christmas to you.**_

All eyes were on James as he stared shell shocked at the words. "You've got my Invisibility Cloak?" he whispered in awe. Harry just smiled.

"You have an Invisibility Cloak?" cried Professor McGonagall shocked, "So that is why you are never caught when you are causing trouble!" The Marauders grinned guiltily.

But there was something else on Sirius's mind that worried him, if they had discovered the Invisibility Cloak this early would they discover any of their other secrets, he glanced towards Remus and worried about the outcome. The trio had mentioned the third book an awful lot for information on them and he was more anxious than anything about what that book held.

"How did you come across the Cloak then Potter?" asked Lucius intrigued.

"It belonged to my Father and his Father; it's been passed down for generations on generations." James said.

Hermione, Harry and Ron smirked they knew where the Cloak had come from but was not ready to reveal that information just yet.

"I often wondered how you got away with things Potter, and now I know how!" said Malfoy slightly annoyed that Harry had an Invisibility Cloak and he didn't.

**There was no signature, Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the Cloak.**

"**I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"**

"**Nothing," said Harry. He felt very strange. Who had sent the Cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father?**

**Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Harry stuffed the Cloak quickly out of sight. He didn't feel like sharing with anyone else yet.**

"**Merry Christmas!"**

"**Hey look – Harry's got a Weasley jumper, too!" **

**Fred and George were wearing blue jumpers, one with a large yellow F knitted into it and the other had a large G in yellow.**

"**Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's jumper. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family.**

"**Why aren't you wearing yours Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."**

"**I hate maroon," Ron moaned half-heartedly as he pulled it over his head. **

"**You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget you name. But where not stupid – we know we're called Gred and Forge."**

"I love your brothers," chuckled Alice at the last comment. "But why do they have letters on their jumpers?"

"Simple really, mum thought that if they have letters on, she'll know which is which, but they usually swapped them around so she really didn't know." Like before, Dumbledore had noticed the use of past tense and was beginning to believe that something had happened to one of the twins.

"**What's all this noise?"**

**Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly come halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy jumper over his arm, which Fred seized.**

"**P for Prefect! Get it on Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours even Harry's got one."**

"**I – don't – want –" said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the jumper over his head, knocking his glasses askew. **

"**And you're not sitting with the Prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family.**

**They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his jumper.**

"The boys are right thought, Christmas is a time for family," said Narcissa her eyes glancing towards the four other Blacks who all caught her eye.

"Narcissa, you know that'll never happen in our family, Sirius and I have gone our separate ways and both mother and aunty disagree with our choices, you three have chosen to stay with the family. I'm sorry sister but we'll never have a family Christmas like we did when we were children again," Narcissa's eyes fell to the ground and the room was silent. Not knowing what to do, Andromeda stood and awkwardly gave her, once, sister a hug, which to her surprise was returned.

"But it's not fair," she finally mumbled, "Why does it have to be us?"

"Because we are the Noble Blacks a Pureblood family that has so many expectations that when one is not achieved the consequences are brutal. As Muggles say Life's a bitch."

"Carry on Hermione," whispered Neville feeling a little awkward.

**Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys, mountains of roast and boiled potatoes, platters of fat chipolatas, tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce – and stacks of wizards crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic crackers were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just go bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear-admiral's hat and several live white mice.**

"Eww I don't think I'd want a bunch of white mice running out of my crackers," Alice squealed scrunching up her nose, she had made it clear in her first year that she had a pet hate for mice.

**Up on the High Table, Dumbledore had switched his normal pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him. **

The group looked at Dumbledore warily, some frowning. All hoping to rid the image of Dumbledore in a flowered bonnet with his long white beard. Dumbledore himself was chuckling at the image and muttered about his sanity going.

**Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver Sickle embedded in his slice. Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face and he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, and her top hat lop-sided. **

The entire room burst out in laughter as the strict Head of Gryffindor blushed at the description.

"A little too much wine for you there, my Dear Minerva," Dumbledore chuckled; McGonagall sent the man a death glare warning him to say no more.

**When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable, luminous balloons, a grow-your-own-warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs Norris' Christmas dinner.**

**Harry and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight in the grounds. Then, cold, wet and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor Commonroom, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. He suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.**

**After a tea of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle and Christmas cake, everyone…**

"Was that fat they couldn't stand up and were named Dudley!" smiled Sirius as Harry rolled his eyes and Remus hit him at the back of his head.

**Felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over the Gryffindor Tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.**

**It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not until he climbed into bed was he free to think about it: the Invisibility Cloak and whoever had sent it.**

"I bet the person to send it was Dumbledore," announced Regulus, who had not spoken very much since the chapter had started.

"It could be, but there is also a chance that Sirius or Remus or Peter have handed him it for Christmas but haven't announced who they are," suggested Frank who was trying to search all the alternatives.

"What about a route you're not expecting what if Snape was the one to give him it, he is a Hogwarts Professor and did attend school with you all," said Narcissa?

"Why would I give him it Narcissa, it's been made clear I don't like Harry, which means I wouldn't wish him Merry Christmas either, also I don't like the Marauders and why would I have the Cloak?"

As the group thought about who gave Harry the Cloak Hermione continued to read.

**Ron, full if turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster. Harry leant over the side of his own bed and pulled the Cloak out from under it.**

**His ****father****'****s****… ****this ****had ****been ****his ****father****'****s. ****He ****let ****the ****material ****flow ****over ****his ****hands, ****smoother ****than ****silk, ****light ****as ****air. **_**Use **__**it **__**well, **_**the ****note ****had ****said.**

**He had to try it, now.**

"I have a bad feeling about this," muttered Andromeda nervously.

**He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the Cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.**

_**Use it well.**_

**Suddenly, Harry felt wide awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this Cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere and Flitch would never know.**

**Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Harry wake him? Something held him back – his father's Cloak – he felt that this time – the first time – he wanted to use it alone.**

"That is fair, you shouldn't have to always share with everyone, sometimes being a little selfish isn't a negative thing," explained Alice.

**He crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room and climbed through the portrait hole.**

"**Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Harry said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor.**

**Where should he go? He stopped, his heart racing, and thought. And then it came to him. The Restricted Section in the library. He'd be able to read as long as he liked, as long as it took to found who Flamel was. He set off, drawing the Invisibility Cloak tight around him as he walked.**

"Please tell me you changed your mind half way there and decided to turn back and go to sleep," said Lily desperately.

"I can tell you that was something he didn't do," said Hermione knowing what Harry had discovered.

Lily groaned.

**The library was pitch black and very eerie. Harry lit a lam to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in mid-air, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps.**

**The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope which separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up his lamp to read the titles. **

**They didn't tell him much. Their peeling faded gold letters spelled words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck prickled. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe not, but he thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be. **

**He had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, he looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open. **

"Oh I remember this book," Harry mumbled.

"Which book is it?" asked Draco raising a pale eyebrow.

"I'm not sure what it was called it was just a bad book to pick up,"

**A piercing, blood-curling shriek split the silence – the book was screaming! Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high unbroken ear splitting note. He stumbled backwards and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, he heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf he ran for it.**

"You put your Cloak back on didn't you?" asked Bellatrix curiously.

"I don't think I ever took it off," Harry said honestly.

**He passed Filch almost in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him and Harry slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the books shrieks still ringing in his ears.**

**He came to a halt in front of a tall suit of armour. He had been so busy getting away from the library he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognise where he was at all.**

"Not a good start that," Neville chuckled.

"I know but now I have something that saves me from being lost," Harry told him, watching as his friend frowned, "you'll find out later,"

**There was a suit of armour near the kitchens, he knew, but he must have been five floors above there. **

"**You asked me to come directly to you Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody has been in the Restricted Section of the library."**

**Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror it was Snape who replied.**

"Why does that not surprise me," muttered James strongly.

"**The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, well catch them."**

**Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into him – the Cloak didn't stop him being solid.**

**He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past and Harry leant against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.**

**It looked like a disused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls and there was an upturned waste-paper basket – but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.**

Dumbledore frowned trying to work out what it could possibly be, there was many things parading through his mind. However he wasn't the only one trying to figure out what was in the room; everyone else was but Hermione, Harry and Ron who already knew what it was. Hermione continued to read after pausing to allow people to think.

**It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. **

"What does that mean?" Lucius asked confused repeating the words in his head.

"Repeat the words backwards," Hermione informed him handing him a piece of paper.

"I still don't know what it means," he said.

Sighing Hermione said what it meant "Is how not your face but your heart's desire."

"Is this that mirror that is name of the chapter?" Remus asked.

"The Mirror or Erised, or if you switch a word, the Mirror of Desire, yes it is and the Desire part is special.

**His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at him-self but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it.**

"That's slightly a weird obsession Potter," said Draco amused.

"Shut it Malfoy, you'd have done the same if you were in my situation,"

"Humph I doubt it,"

**He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself screaming.**

"What is it?" Lily demanded!

"Let me continue reading without interruptions and you'll see."

**H****e ****whirled ****around. ****His ****heart ****was ****pounding ****far ****more ****furiously ****than ****when ****the ****book ****had ****screamed**** – ****for ****he ****had ****seen ****not ****only ****himself ****in ****the ****mirror, ****but ****a ****whole ****crowd ****of ****people ****standing ****right ****behind ****him.**

**But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror. **

**There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and over his shoulder – but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?**

"That's a really interesting idea but I think the Mirror serves another purpose," said Andromeda who knew about the Mirror of Erised and the way it worked.

**He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air – she and the others existed only in the mirror.**

**She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes – her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. **

"It can't be," whispered Remus his eyes wide, he looked over at Lily who was also looking shocked.

"It sounds like you Evans, but you're dead, so it can't be," said Bellatrix. But Andromeda, Dumbledore and McGonagall's heart sank as they knew why the Lily appeared in the mirror.

**Bright green – exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy, it stuck up at the back just like Harry's did.**

"James," said Sirius confused, "I don't understand how Lily and James are appearing in the mirror when we've been told they're dead?"

"Remember what I said about the mirror," Hermione said.

**Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that od his reflection.**

"**Mum?****" ****he ****whispered.**** "****Dad?****" **

**They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees – Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.**

Lily's eyes had begun to water, the image in her mind of Harry standing looking into this mirror wanting nothing more than to be with them broke her heart. "Hermione please explain," she whispered painfully.

Looking at Harry who nodded his head, "You see the Mirror of Erised shows your hearts greatest desire, for Harry this is his family that he wants so desperately, but the mirror is dangerous, and you'll see why soon,"

**The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, and half terrible sadness.**

**How long had he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him to his senses. He couldn't stay here; he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.**

"I hope you don't go back, it is slightly creepy," said Narcissa who could feel a bad omen from the mirror.

"**You could have woken me up" said Ron, crossly.**

"**You can come tonight, I'm going back, and I want to show you the mirror."**

"**I'd like to see your mum and dad," said Ron eagerly.**

"**And I want to see all your family, all the Weasley's; you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone." **

"That's a large amount of people in the mirror then," joked Draco, who received a friendly gesture of a punch in the arm from Ron.

"Well at least if I died then the Weasley name will continue if you die ferret then it's the end of the Malfoys." Said Ron, "Hold on that's not a bad idea, you fancy jumping off a cliff and dying?" he joked, Draco scowled at the red head dangerously.

"Watch it Weasley!" he warned.

"**You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people. Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"**

**Harry couldn't eat. He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important any more. Who cared what the three headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it really?**

"And that in itself is why the mirror of Erised is dangerous," explained Hermione.

"But why, is it because of what Harry is thinking?" asked Neville.

"You'll receive your answer very soon."

**Are you alright?" said Ron. "You look odd."**

**What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror again. With Ron covered in the Cloak too, they had to walk much slowly next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.**

"**I'm freezing," said Ron, "Let's forget it and go back."**

"_**No**_**!****" ****Harry ****hissed.**** "****I ****know ****it****'****s ****here ****somewhere.****"**

"I think I'm beginning to see the dangerous side to this mirror," said Remus thoughtfully.

"Go on?"

"Well look at Harry he is changing just from one night of seeing what the mirror shows. Imagine if he spent the rest of his life dependant on the mirror, seeking out the visions he depends on. The mirror shows your heart's desire but that does not mean it'll come true, and you will waste your life away gradually going mad for something that will never happen."

"Lupin, you're saying that Harry is becoming dependant on a mirror?" said Snape scowling.

"Exactly, before he saw the mirror he was focused on finding information on Flamel and stopping you from taking whatever the dog is hiding. But now he does not care, he can only focus on one thing," the group thought about what Remus had said.

**They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. Just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armour.**

"**It's here – just here – yes!"**

**They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the Cloak from round his shoulders and ran to the mirror.**

**There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him. **

"**See?" Whispered Harry.**

"**I can't see anything." **

"**Look! Look at them all … there is loads of them …"**

"**I can only see you"**

"**Look in it properly, go on, and stand where I am."**

**Harry stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family any more, just Ron in his paisley pyjamas. **

**Ron, thought, was staring transfixed at his image.**

"**Look at me!" he said.**

"**Can you see all your family standing around you?"**

"**No – I'm alone – but I'm different – I look older – and I'm Head Boy!"**

"**What?"**

"**I am – I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to – I'm holding the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup – I'm Quidditch captain, too!"**

**Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Harry.**

"**Do you think this mirror shows the future?"**

"It can't do Potter's parents are dead," said Lucius stating the obvious.

"Why is being Headboy and Quidditch Captain your hearts greatest desire?"

"It's not what it is that was my greatest desire it's what they stand for, they make you stand out, and that is the last thing you do when you are one of 7,"

"**How can it be? All my family are dead – let me have another look –"**

"**You had it all to yourself last night; give me a bit more time."**

"**You're only holding the Quidditch Cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents."**

"**Don't push me –"**

**A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realised how loud they had been talking.**

"**Quick!"**

**Ron threw the Cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs Norris came around the door. Ron and Harry stood quite still, both thinking the same thing – did the Cloak work on cats?**

"No, it doesn't, so you should be alright there," Sirius chuckled as Peter quickly nodded his head in agreement.

**After what seemed an age, she turned and left.**

"**This isn't safe – she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us, come on."**

**And Ron pulled Harry out of the room.**

"Harry Potter you better not go back to that room, you hear me!" demanded Lily firmly.

**The snow still hadn't melted next morning.**

**"Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron **

"**No."**

"**Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"**

"**No… you go…"**

"**I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. Don't go back tonight."**

"**Why not?"**

"**I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it – and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape and Mrs Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"**

"**You sound like Hermione."**

"Why is that phrase always used as a negative comment?" Hermione said out loud looking at the two boys sternly!" Harry and Ron shrugged not exactly sure why they used it like they did.

"**I'm serious Harry, don't go."**

**But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop him.**

"You really take after your mother in stubbornness," said Snape receiving a glare from Lily.

**That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than wise, but he didn't meet anyone.**

**And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers' nodding happily. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all.**

"Famous last words that," chuckled Alice.

**Except – **

"**So – back again, Harry?"**

**Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him. **

"**I – I didn't see you, sir."**

"**Strange how short- sighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.**

"So it was Dumbledore that gave you the Invisibility Cloak," said Narcissa suddenly realising how Dumbledore knew about Harry being invisible.

Harry just grinned and the entire room knew how he got the Cloak.

"I was right!" Regulus suddenly said.

"How?"

"Well I said it was Dumbledore that would have given him the Cloak, so I was correct!"

"**So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of Mirror of Erised."**

"**I didn't know it was called that, sir."**

"**But I expect you've realised by now what it does?"**

"**It – well – it shows me my family –"**

"**And it shows your friend Ron himself as Head Boy." **

"**How did you know …?"**

"**I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"**

**Harry shook his head.**

"**Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror that is; he would look in to it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"**

**Harry though. Then he slowly said, "It shows us what we want whatever we want…"**

"**Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brother, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them."**

"Oh I understand now, Ron wants to be the best and not just seen as one of seven Weasley kids," Said Peter who was a little confused when Ron explained why he saw himself in the mirror like he did.

"**However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible." **

"**The mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable Cloak back on and get off to bed?"**

**Harry stood up.**

"**Sir – Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"**

"**Obviously, you have just done that so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may as me one more thing, however."**

"**What do you see when you look in the mirror?"**

"Harry Potter you can't just ask someone that so personal!" Snapped Lily, in normal circumstances it would have been Hermione to scold the raven haired boy but Lily was taking on the mother role very quickly.

Harry in response lowered his head.

"**I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks,"**

**Harry stared.**

"**One ****can ****never ****have ****enough ****socks,****" ****said ****Dumbledore.**** "****Another ****Christmas ****has ****come ****and ****gone ****and ****I ****didn****'****t ****get ****a****s ingle ****pair. ****People ****will ****insist ****on ****giving ****me ****books.**"

"That is the strangest thing to say ever!" Sirius said aloud, "Honestly Headmaster if you were going to lie couldn't you think of anything better than socks?"

"But it is true every year I receive books and never a pair of socks,"

"You know what Albus from now on all you'll receive from me at Christmas will be thick woollen socks." Professor McGonagall said.

**It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers,**

Hermione's grip on the book tightened, Harry and Ron scowled at the name. It was beginning to annoy those in the room because whatever the rat did was confusing them.

**Off his pillow, it had been quite a personal question.**

"That is the end of the chapter," said Hermione gently closing the book.

"I'm really interested in it now; I really want to know what is going to happen, even though we know the majority of things it'll be nice to know how it ends." Snape said, he was rather pleased to not be mentioned too much in the chapter, the beginning wasn't the nicest thing to listen to but in his mind it could have been worse.

"I still find it surreal that we lived through this and never knew it was happening," Neville said, and Draco nodded his head.

"Thinds you don't notice aye Longbottom," said Draco and Neville nodded.

"I think it's time for the next chapter," said McGonagall.

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**Please review, alert and favourite. Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes.**

**I've noticed that the speech is mainly Lily but enjoy! :)**


	15. Nicholas Flamel

**Woo I'm back and this means I have another chapter, this one is the shortest so far, but it's a very short chapter itself. I'm rather happy to have this done so quickly, do enjoy and please no Flames!**

* * *

**Nicholas Flamel**

"So who would like to read next?" asked Hermione with the book held in her hand.

"May I read please Hermione?" Hermione nodded her head and handed the book to Alice who thanked her. "This next chapter is called **Nicholas ****Flamel**,"

"Finally you are going to know who Flamel is," said Bellatrix.

**Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the Invisibility Cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk.**

"That's a safe thing to do," said Remus, "you've had too many close calls recently so it's god to know that you've stayed away from it."

"Yeah, the Cloak has definitely helped me in certain situations though."

"Harry, when do they find out you're a Parseltongue?" asked Regulus.

"It'll be second book won't it," Harry said looking at Malfoy who thought for a minute then nodded his head.

**Harry wished he could forget what he seen in the mirror but it wasn't so easy. He began to have nightmares. Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light with a high cold cackle of laughter.**

"I don't think that is just a nightmare, it could possibly be real," said James sadly.

"**You see Dumbledore was correct, the Mirror could make you go mad," said Ron, when Harry told him about these dreams. **

"Nice way to say I told you so," chuckled Draco.

**Hermione, who came back the day before term started took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry been out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!") and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicholas Flamel was.**

**They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry was still sure he'd read the name somewhere. Once term had started, they were back in the library skimming books for ten minutes in their breaks. Harry had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again. **

"That mean's another Quidditch match is in store!" said Snape who enjoyed Quidditch just as much as the others in the room.

**Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic. But Harry was on Wood's side. Their next match was against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years.**

"Seven years! I can't believe it Slytherin have never held a lead for that long, Snape your ways in teaching may be the reason for this!" said Professor McGonagall.

"Maybe so Professor but at the moment I am not responsible for anything," his sly grin angered the Head of Gryffindor as she knew he was right.

**Quite apart from wanting to win, Harry found that he had fewer nightmares when he was tired out after training. Then, during one particular wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of a bad news. He'd just got very angry with the Weasley, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms. **

"**Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"**

"Great, so it looks as if Gryffindor will not win the game, and to make it even worse Snape is going to try and kill Harry," Said Frank.

"It's a bit risky to try and kill Harry if he's playing referee," said Alice squeezing his knee gently.

**George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words.**

The group laughed, while Ron shook his mumbling something like idiot.

"**Snape's refereeing? He spluttered through a mouthful of mud. **

"**When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair, because we might overtake Slytherin."**

**The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.**

"**It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."**

"Like that'll way work with Sevy here, he'll purposely find something wrong!" Lucius chuckled. Snape scowled at the long haired blonde because of the ridiculous nickname.

**Which was all very well, thought Harry, but he had another reason for not wanting Snape around him while he was playing Quidditch.**

**Instead of hanging back like the rest of the team Harry hurried to the Gryffindor Common room, where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost as, something Harry and Ron thought was very good for her.**

Disagreeing with the comment she huffed but took her disapproval no further.

**Catching sigh of Harry's face, "What's the matter with you? You look terrible." **

**Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Harry told the other two about Snape's sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.**

"**Don't play," said Hermione at once.**

**"Say you're ill," said Ron.**

"**Pretend to break your leg," suggested Hermione.**

"**Really ****break ****your ****leg,****" ****said ****Ron.**

"Pomfrey would be able to heal you pretty quickly so breaking your leg wouldn't have worked." Admitted Draco, and the trio agreed with him, rather painfully.

"Something is going to happen in a minute that won't look very good on you, if I remember correctly Malfoy," said Hermione smirking at him. Thinking about what she had said he tried desperately to rethink the event but for the life of him he couldn't.

"**I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."**

**At the moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with that they recognised at once as the leg-locker curse.**

"Oh shit," Draco mumbled he now knew what Hermione had meant.

**He must have had to bunny all up the way to Gryffindor Tower.**

**Everyone fell about laughing except Hermione.**

"You are all so cruel just to sit there and laugh at him," snapped Alice angrily. "Hermione at least you didn't."

"Mr Longbottom you better have come to me about this!" said Professor McGonagall sternly.

**Who leapt up and performed the counter-curse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling.**

"**What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Ron.**

"**Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practise that on."**

The entire room looked at Draco angrily, "Think I'm in a spot of trouble here," he muttered not daring to look at Alice whose face was gradually turning red. He glanced over to his future Mother and Father and to his surprise they didn't seem overly happy about what he did.

"I really hope Draco Malfoy that your behaviour is only like this in the first book because you are only eleven," Alice said slowly. Draco gulped, he was very sure the Mudblood remark in the second book wouldn't go down too well, and neither would attempted murder on the Headmaster.

"Potter is it possible to be killed in this room?" he asked.

"Erm I don't think so why?" he asked confused.

"I just wondered, because I'm rather sure someone will try and kill me by the end of all seven books," he admitted.

"Why do you think you could be killed?" asked Narcissa anxiously.

"Er, you'll see," he said scratching the back of his neck.

"**Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"**

**Neville shook his head. **

"**I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.**

"**You've got to stand up to him Neville!" Said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's not reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier,"**

"**There is no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," choked Neville.**

"You really were a prick Malfoy," said Hermione annoyed.

"You think I haven't notice this, if I remember correctly it's gonna look a lot better for Longbottom," thinking about the upcoming Quidditch match.

**Harry felt in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog the very last one from the box Hermione had given him for Christmas. He gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.**

"Why do I also have to look like I'm crying or going to cry?" spat Neville embarrassed.

"I think it may be because you always look like you were going to cry when you were in your first year," Hermione said quietly.

"Well that make sense," he said annoyed, beginning to sulk.

"**You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."**

"Oi!" cried few of the Slytherins.

"I take offense to that comment Scar head; twelve is a bit much isn't?" Harry chose not to answer the question just raised an eyebrow at the platinum blonde.

**Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the Frog. "Thanks Harry … I think I'll go to bed … D'you want the card, you collect them don't you?"**

"I bet its Dumbledore and you then find out who Flamel is," said James excitedly.

**As Neville walked away Harry looked at the Famous Wizards card.**

"**Dumbledore again," he said. "He was the first one I ever –"**

**He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. The he looked up at Ron and Hermione.**

"**I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel!" I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here – listen to this: Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel!"**

"I was right!" grinned James cheerily.

"You're physic Prongs!" cried Sirius childishly.

**Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd got back the marts for their very first piece of homework.**

"I wasn't excited about that, I was just happy to have done well on the assignment," she defended simply.

"Of course Hermione, whatever you say," joked Ron, who ducked out of the way quickly as Hermione's hand aimed for his cheek.

"**Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls dormitories. Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back and enormous old book in her arms.**

"**I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."**

"Light reading?" said Lily. "I know I'm a bit of a book worm but I've never gone to that extreme,"

"Granger is the Queen of all the book worms," stated Draco.

"**Light?" said Ron but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.**

**At last she found what she was looking for.**

"**I knew it, I knew it!"**

"**Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.**

"Cheers Mione," smirked Ron, Hermione smiled guiltily.

"**Nicholas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "Is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone.**

"So Flamel has created the Philosophers stone, but have we covered this?" Lily said who was in a muddle with what she'd heard so far, nobody answered her.

**This didn't have the effect she expected it to have. **

"**The what?" said Harry and Ron?**

"**Oh, honestly, don't you two read? Look – read that, there."**

**She pushed the book towards them, and Harry and Ron read:**

**The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal in to pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the person consuming it immortal.**

**There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera-lover. Mr Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday, last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).**

"Makes sense that you never found Flamel in the Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," muttered Peter.

"I wouldn't want to be six hundred and fifty odd years old," said Andromeda imagining all the aches and pains that would come with it.

"**See?" said Hermione, when harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"**

"You are definitely an intelligent individual, Hermione Granger," complimented Dumbledore, causing Hermione to blush.

"Thank you Professor,"

"**A stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."**

"But Andromeda," Regulus joked, who received a smile from his disowned cousin.

"**And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"**

"That's similar to what I said," said Peter proudly as Remus patted his friend on the shoulder.

**Next morning in Defence Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Harry and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Philosopher's stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that remembered about Snape and the coming match.**

"**I'm going to play," he told Ron and Hermione. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them … it'll wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."**

"**Just as long as we're not wiping you off the pitch," said Hermione. **

"Hermione has a good point there," said Lily.

"Hermione always has a good point," winked Hermione. Lily erupted in laughter.

**As the match drew nearer, however, Harry became more and more nervous; whatever he told Ron and Hermione. The rest of the team weren't too calm now. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the House Championship was wonderful; no one had done it for nearly seven years.**

At this point Professor McGonagall took a large intake of breath, still not happy with hearing that particular statistic.

**But would they be able to, with such a biased referee?**

**Harry didn't know whether he was imagining it or not, but he seemed to keep running into Snape where ever he went. At times he even wondered whether Snape was following him, trying to catch him on his own.**

"You're beginning to get paranoid now," said Lucius

"I just think it's a coincident or I'm keeping an eye on you," said Snape, who was not looking forward to the next Quidditch match.

**Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture, Snape was so horrible to Harry.**

Snape lowered his head as both Lily and James scowled at him.

**Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Philosopher's stone? Harry didn't see how he could – yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling at Snape could read minds.**

"That's a curious thought," said Alice stopping reading, "I bet you can read minds, meaning you know they've discovered it,"

The group from the past thought about what Alice had said, but those from the present just smirked in acknowledgement.

**Harry knew when they wished him good luck outside the changing rooms the following day in the afternoon, that Ron and Hermione were wondering whether they'd ever see him alive again.**

"If Snape was going to kill you, I doubt he'd do it in broad daylight when everyone is watching him." Said Frank.

**This wasn't what you'd call comforting. Harry hardly heard a word of Wood's per talk as he pulled on this Quidditch robes and picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match. Little did Harry know that Ron and Hermione had secretly practising the Leg-Locker Curse. They'd got the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign on wanting to hurt Harry.**

"I'm glad that I could be of a service," commented Draco sarcastically.

"**Now don't forget its Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.**

"**I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag." **

**Back in the changing room, Wood had taken Harry aside.**

"**Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favour Hufflepuff too much. **

"**The whole school's out there!" said Fred Weasley, peering out of the door. "Even – blimey – Dumbledore's come to watch!"**

"**Harry's heart did a somersault.**

"It's rare for you to attend a Quidditch match Professor," said James who had been playing Quidditch since his second year.

"I can easily watch it from my tower, but after last match I believe I have attended the match so nobody will attack Harry," explained the old headmaster.

"Nobody would be daft enough to attack Harry while you're there," stated Sirius.

"**Dumbledore?" he said, dashing to the door to make sure. Fred was right. There was no mistaking that silver beard. **

**Harry could have laughed out loud with relief. He was safe. There was simply no way that Snape would dare to try and hurt him if Dumbledore was watching. **

**Perhaps that was why Snape was looking so angry, as the teams marched on to the pitch, something that Ron noticed, too.**

"**I've never seen Snape look so angry," he told Hermione, Look – they're off. Ouch!"**

A confused expression appeared on everyone's face but Hermione's, Draco's and Ron's.

**Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.**

"**Oh, sorry, Weasley didn't see you there."**

**Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle. **

"**Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"**

**Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him. Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.**

"What I find amusing, a Seeker needs to be small, quick and have amazing eye sight." Said Bellatrix, "Well you've been described as small and shown to be quick, but you wear glasses how can you have good eyesight?"

Harry laughed, "I've always wondered that, my eye sight is terrible and when I play in the rain I'm near enough blind but I still manage it."

"**You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "It's for people they pity. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's Weasleys, who've got no money – you should be on the team Longbottom, you've got no brains."**

"I really think I should shut up," said Draco nervously, looking around the room and seeing people scowl at me.

"Think of it this Malfoy, you may be getting the looks that could kill but it's only the first book just wait till over characters are mentioned." Said Neville thinking of Bellatrix.

**Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.**

"**I'm worth twelve of you Malfoy," he stammered.**

"Yes Neville, you tell him!" cheered James before realising that Draco was in the room. "Sorry," but Draco just rolled his eyes expecting nothing less.

**Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."**

**"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something.**

"You're really pushing it there Draco, if you're not careful you might get slapped," Said Narcissa fearing for the worst.

**Ron's nerves were already stretched to breaking point with anxiety about Harry.**

"**I'm warning you, Malfoy – one more word –"**

"**Ron!" said Hermione suddenly. "Harry –!"**

"**What? Where?"**

**Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her fingers crossed as Harry streaked towards the ground like a bullet. **

"Please tell me you don't fall?" said Andromeda, speaking the words before Lily could, but Harry said nothing and nodded his head towards Alice to continue.

"**You're in luck Weasley; Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" Said Malfoy. **

**Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated then clambered over the back of his seat to help.**

"**Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping on the her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape – she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe and Goyle.**

**Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches – next second, Harry dulled out of the dive, his arms raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.**

"Well done Harry, that's amazing and so quick too" said Narcissa smiling at the boy who she was yet to see as an enemy.

"Go Prongslet!" Cried Sirius thrusting his arm into the air.

"**Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game is over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor are in the lead!" Shrieked Hermione, jumping up and down on her seat and hugging Parvarti Patil in the front row.**

"A little excited there Miss Granger," chuckled Professor McGonagall who was ecstatic with the result herself.

"**Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe it. He'd done it – the game was over, it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindor came spilling on to the pitch, he saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight lipped – then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Dumbledore's smiling face.**

"**Well done," aid Dumbledore quietly, so that only harry could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror… been keeping busy … excellent …"**

"You don't think he knows do you?" Remus suddenly said.

"I didn't at the time but now I look back he most likely did," said Harry shrugging.

"He will have done Harry, when has Dumbledore not known about something we've done?" said Ron making everyone think.

**Snape spat bitterly on the ground.**

"Lovely thing to know," Lucius joked.

**Harry left the changing room alone some time later, to take his Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broom shed. He couldn't ever remember feeling happier. He'd really done something to be proud of now – no one could say he was just a famous name anymore. **

**The evening air had never smelled so sweet. He walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in his head, which was a happy blur. Gryffindor running to lift him on to their shoulders; Ron cheering through a heavy nosebleed.**

**Harry had reached the shed. He leant against the wooden door and looked up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead. He'd done it, he'd shown Snape …**

**And speaking of Snape… **

"This doesn't sound good," mumbled Snape, he was beginning to really hate been mentioned, because whenever he was it always brought trouble.

"What you up to now, I wonder,"

"I bet you 10 Galleons he's gone to meet Quirrell!" said James to Sirius feeling confident.

"You're on!"

**A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle.**

**Clearly now want to be seen, it walked as fast as possible towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry's victory faded from his mind as he watched. He recognised the figure's prowling walk. Snape sneaking into the Forest while everyone else was a dinner – what was going on?**

"I don't know, why don't you tell us," said Lucius to the book.

"It's catching now Lucy is talking to a book," cried Sirius smirking as the long blond scowled but a hint of redness was on his cheeks.

**Harry ****jumped ****back ****on ****his ****Nimbus ****Two ****Thousand ****and ****took ****off. ****Gliding ****silently ****over ****the ****castle ****he ****saw ****Snape ****enter ****the ****Forest ****at ****a ****run. ****He ****followed.**

"I wish you wouldn't," moaned Lily.

**The trees were so thick he couldn't see where Snape had gone. He flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. He glided towards them and landed silently in a towering beech tree.**

"**He climbed carefully along one of the branches holding tight to his broomstick, trying to see through the leaves.**

**Below, in a shadow clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone.**

**Quirrell was there, too. Harry couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever.**

"Hand it over Padfoot, I said it was Quirrell he'd be meeting." James open palm waited for Sirius to hand over the ten galleons. Sighing Sirius rummaged through his pocket and placed the galleons in his best friend's hand.

"… **d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-placed, Severus…"**

"**Oh I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy.**

**"Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all."**

**Harry leant forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.**

"**Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"**

"**B-b-but Severus, I –"**

"**You don't want me as you enemy, Quirrell," said Snape taking a step towards him.**

"**I – I don-t know what you –" **

"**You know perfectly well what I mean."**

"I'm glad he does, because I'm confused," said Peter

"Well if you didn't interrupt we might have found out," snapped Bellatrix venomously.

"Back of Bella, he was only saying," growled Sirius defending his friend.

**An owl hooted loudly and Harry nearly fell out of the tree. He steadied himself in time to hear Snape say "– your little bit of hocus pocus. I'm waiting."**

"**B-but I d-d-don't –"**

"**Very well," Snape cut in. We'll have another little chat soon when you've had time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie."**

**He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Harry could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified. **

"I still don't get it," said Peter.

"Neither do we Wormy, I guess we'll find out eventually," said Remus.

"**Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.**

"**We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron thumping Harry on the back. "And I've given Malfoy a black eye and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed!"**

"I'm rather sure that's not the best of ideas there Neville, if I remember the description of them correctly." Said Frank chuckling at his son to be.

"Maybe not, but I was only knocked out so it could have been worse, they could have squished me," said Neville but feeling a little cruel when he saw Draco's face.

"**He's still out cold but madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right – talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."**

"**Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly." Let's find an empty room; you wait 'til you hear this…"**

**He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, and then he told them what he'd seen and heard.**

"**So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy – and he said something about Quirrell's "hocus pocus" I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell which Snape needs to break through –"**

"**So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.**

"**It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.**

"That's the chapter finished," said Alice.

"Well that was one interesting chapter but wasn't very long," admitted Regulus.

"Professor can we have some lunch now," said Snape. Dumbledore nodded his head and with a wave of his wand the room was full of warm delicious food. While everyone tucked in, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Draco huddled together to talk.

"I can't believe how wrong we were," smiled Harry shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" asked Neville confused.

"Oh c'mon do you really think it was Snape that was trying to steal it?" Ron said to Neville.

"But who was it? Quirrell?" suggested Draco.

Hermione winked and his eyebrows rose into his hair line. "It can't be, Snape scared him so much,"

"I know and that's why it shocked Harry in … erm when he found out," Hermione said catching herself before she revealed too much.

"In where?"

"You'll find out soon,"

"Think of what Alice has mentioned, I think it was Alice, Quirrell's turban has been mentioned so many times,"

"There is more to the story isn't there,"

"A lot more,"

* * *

**I was a little disappointed by the shortage of reviews with the last chapter, but please please review this one please :)**


	16. Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

**It's been while since I've updated this story but here is the next chapter, it is longer than the last one so I hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer - Don't own Harry Potter Books!**

* * *

**Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback**

Let's gather around and continue reading, we haven't many more to go, after this chapter," announced Dumbledore as the group slowly made their way back in the circle from before. Once everyone was seated he continued. "Who'd like to read next?"

"If it's alright with everyone, I'd like to get my turn out of the way," said Draco, glancing around the room nobody said anything so he picked up the book from the table. "The next chapter is called **Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback.**"

"So that's who Norbert is, he's a Norwegian Ridgeback, but tell me if I'm wrong but isn't that a dragon?" said James wearily

"Yes a Norwegian Ridgeback is a dragon, but what worries me the most is how Hagrid got hold of a dragon." Said McGonagall, she looked at Dumbledore who also looked a little worried.

**Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they'd thought. In the weeks that followed he did seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as though he'd cracked yet.**

"I wonder why he's pale and thinner, do you think he's worried about what Snape is going to do?" Bellatrix suggested.

"No I just have this feeling that there is more to this than Snape." Said Alice; she missed the smile that Hermione, Harry and Ron shared but like before Dumbledore noticed it and frowned.

**Every time they passed the third–floor corridor, Harry, Ron and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside.**

"And was it?" James asked before smacking his head because he already knew the answer.

**Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which surely meant that the Stone was still safe. Whenever Harry passes Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Ron had started telling people off laughing at Quirrell's stutter.**

**Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Philosophers Stone.**

"Bet it's studying," mumbled Draco to Neville who smirked and nodded his head.

**She had started drawing up revision timetables and colour coding all her notes. Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same. **

"Damn Granger, I bet you're every Professors favourite," Lucius chuckled. She scowled at the long haired blonde because she knew he was right but did not want to admit this to him.

"**Hermione, the exams are ages away."**

"**Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages; it's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."**

"**But we're not hundreds of years old," Rib reminded her. "Anyway, what are you revising, you already know it all."**

"**What am I revising for? Are you mad? You realise we need to pass these exams to get into our second year? They're very important, I should have started revising a month ago, I don't know what's got in to me…"**

"Miss Granger you do know that if you don't pass first you will still get into the second year. I'm sure you don't have people in Hogwarts that are 16 and still in their first year, it's a blind lie to get students to work harder." Explained Professor McGonagall, she saw Hermione nod and understood that telling the two boys this was also a bluff.

**Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practising wand movements. Moaning and yawning, Harry and Ron spent most of their free ties in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work.**

"**I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months.**

"Sometimes been locked up in the library continually studying will not help you, you need fresh air and a break for your mind to collect all the information." Explained Dumbledore, while Harry and Ron both looked at Hermione silently saying 'even Dumbledore thinks you shouldn't study so much' Hermione turned away.

**The shy was clear, forget-me-not-blue and there was a feeling of summer in the air.**

**Harry who was looking up 'Dittany' in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, didn't look up until he heard Ron say, "Hagrid What are you doing in the library?"**

"Bet it's got something to do with Dragons," smirked Snape and Hermione smiled at him, glad to see he wasn't still hiding in his shell.

**Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat.**

"**Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"**

"Nar they discovered that earlier on," Said James out loud.

"Remus he's doing it again," whimpered Sirius moving away from his best friend. The others in the room rolled their eyes slightly amused by Potters stupidity.

"**Oh, we found out about him ages ago." said Ron impressively. "And we know what the dogs hiding; it's the Philosophers St-"**

"**Shhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don't go shoutin' about it, what's a matter with yeh?" **

"**There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, 'about what's guarding the stone apart from Fluffy –"**

"**SHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen – come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh –" **

"Would they have really thought he'd told you?" Lily asked worried.

"In our first year they would have but if they looked back after our 4th year they'd slowly realise that we'd found it out, because it's always us three," explained Hermione with a secretive smile that Harry and Ron shared with her.

"**See you later, then," said Harry and Hagrid shuffled off.**

"**What was he hiding behind his back?" Said Hermione in thought.**

"**Do you think it had anything to with the stone?"**

"**I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, who'd had enough of working. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.**

"**Dragons!" he whispered. "Hagrid was looking up dragons! Look at these: Dragon species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon's Keepers guide."**

"**Hagrid always wanted a dragon he told me so the first time I ever met him." Said Harry.**

"Didn't Hagrid say that before the two of you went to Diagon Alley?" remembered Sirius.

"Yeah he did, the books hold clues throughout, there has already been so many that you've not brought up. Some of you have mentioned a few, I think Alice stated the most important one" Said Harry smirking, he was still surprised that it was only, really, Alice who had questioned the amount of time the turban had been spoken of.

"I know how annoying it is to read when someone keeps interrupting," said Draco glaring daggers at Harry who smirked back at him.

"**But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon-breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. The thing is you can't tame a dragon it's nearly impossible, you should see the burns Charlie has got off the wild ones in Romania.**

"**But there aren't any wild Dragon's in Britain?" Harry asked cautiously.**

"**Of course there are," said Ron. "There is the Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job of hushing them up, I tell you. Our lot have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."**

**"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" Said Hermione.**

"It's one of them question that always has a bad answer to it," said Lucius.

"I know," she chuckled.

**When they knocked on the gamekeepers hut door. They were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid called, "Who is it?" before he let them in and then shut it immediately after.**

**It was stifling hot inside. Even thought it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches.**

"Mmm yummy," Narcissa sarcastically said.

"Can't be any worse than his rock cakes, I'm sure they're made out of real rocks," squeaked Peter. "I nearly broke a tooth eating one of those."

"**They refused,"**

"Don't blame you," mumbled Professor McGonagall. Everyone glanced at her surprised. "What I like Hagrid but the food he cooks is only stomachable for giants with strong teeth and stomachs.

"And a good digestive system!" contributed Regulus.

"Now now, Draco will you continue," interrupted Dumbledore before anyone else could speak."

"**So – yeh wanted to ask me something'?" **

"**Yes," said Harry. There was no point beating about the bush. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy.**

**Hagrid frowned at him. "O' course I can't," he said. "Number one, I don' know mesen, number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn't tell you if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts – I s'ppose yeh've worked that an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy." **

"**Oh c'mon, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us but you do know, you know everything that going on around here," said Hermione **

"Haha very Slytherin of you Granger," drawled Lucius, and Hermione smirked.

"Just like a male Lucius, all men like flattery,"

Draco, Neville, Harry and Ron looked at Hermione in surprise, "How would you know Granger?"

"Simple Ferret, over the years I've seen many men been flattered and with a little flattering it gets you everywhere. There is a Muggle saying that flattery will get you know where but that is a little stretched." She then leaned in closer to Draco that only he could here. "And there's a rumour that all it takes for a girl to get down your pants is a little flattery, proves my point." His eyes widened as he stared at her, "I never knew you were so easy Malfoy," and she moved back. She looked around the room to see everyone staring at her in curiosity but Remus who's excellent hearing from being a werewolf, allowed him to hear what she had said, was chuckling to himself with a smirk on his face.

Draco cleared his throat and continued to read even though there was a noticeable pink stain on his cheeks.

**Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." Hermione went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you." **

"Oh Hagrid," McGonagall muttered shaking her head.

**Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione.**

"**Well, I don' s'ppose it could hurt ter tell yet that … let's see … he borrowed Fluffy from me…**

"Where does Hagrid normally keep Fluffy when he isn't borrowed?"

"That'll remain a mystery Mr Malfoy,"

"I want to know how they got Fluffy through those doors. He is an awful lot bigger than the door space." Said Harry.

"**Some o' the teachers did enchantments … Professor Sprout – Professor Flitwick – Professor McGonagall –" he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell – an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course, Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah Professor Snape."**

"Ah that can't be a good sign, I mean if he's trying to steal the Stone then that's one less problem to solve." Explained Remus but Alice wasn't too sure.

"The more we read on, the more I'm beginning to think that Snape may not be what we seem." Harry looked at Ron; Alice didn't know how right she was.

"**Snape?"**

"**Yeah – yer not still on abou that are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."**

**Harry knew Ron and Hermione were thinking the same as him. If Snape had been the in on protecting, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything – except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.**

"How do you get passed Fluffy?" asked Bellatrix her brows together in deep thought.

"You'll find out in a few chapters," said Hermione as politely as she could muster.

"**You're the only one, who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" Harry said anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone would you, not even one of the teachers?"**

"**Not a soul, the only person other than me is Dumbledore," Hagrid said proudly. **

"**Well that's something," Harry muttered to the others. "Hagrid can we have a window open? I'm boiling."**

"**Can't, sorry Harry," said Hagrid but Harry noticed him glance to the fire. Harry looked at it too.**

"That'll be where he is keeping the dragon," Frank said. "Their mothers blow flames on to them when they are still in the egg, I think."

"**Hagrid – What's that?"**

"**But he already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg."**

Dumbledore and McGonagall closed their eyes and sighed.

"**Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard. "That's an erm –"**

"**Where did you get it Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must have cost you a fortune."**

"**Won it," **

"Oh Hagrid," moaned Lily shaking her head.

"Does he ever think, accepting a dragon off a stranger was a stupid thing to do," Snape snapped.

"He shouldn't have taken it at all. The person he has taken it off won't be in trouble, but he'll be shipped off to Azkaban!" exclaimed James annoyed that his friend could be so daft. "And I have a feeling you three will be involved in its disappearance." Harry, Ron and Hermione looked in every direction but his.

"How have you three not been expelled yet?" McGonagall chuckled in surprise.

"Blind luck Professor that's what,"

"I think I'll have a word with Hagrid about this," said Dumbledore shaking his head, causing the trio to feel a little guilty.

"**Last night I was down in the village havin' a few drinks.**

"A few been an awful lot," mumbled Bellatrix into Lucius's ear.

**An' I got in to a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."**

"Obviously, if I was carrying an illegal dragon egg, I'd be rather happy to get rid of it." Remus said.

"**But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione.**

"**Well I've bin doin' some reading," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta library – Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit – it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in ere. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on em, see, and when it hatches, geed it on a bucket of brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour.**

"It's only a baby and you've got to feed it brandy."

"And chicken blood."

"Surely the mother dragons don't produce brandy mixed with chicken blood," chuckled Peter.

"No they produce milk, my brother Charlie says a dragonling without it'd mothers die quicker if they're not raised by professionals." Ron explained.

**An' see here – how to recognise different eggs – what I got here is a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare them."**

"But also very dangerous," Dumbledore contributed.

**He looked very pleased with himself but Hermione didn't.**

"**Hagrid you live in a wooden house!" she said.**

"Another reason he shouldn't have accepted the dragon. One sneeze and his house would be on fire." Said Regulus frowning.

**But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stroked the fire.**

**So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.**

"He would have been sent to Azkaban," McGonagall said sadly.

"**Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed, as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making revision timetables for Harry and Ron, too. It was driving them mad.**

**Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Harry another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: its hatching.**

**Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut but Hermione wouldn't hear of it.**

"Good on you Miss Granger,"

"I didn't see it was as important as missing Herbology when the exams were so close."

"**Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"**

"**We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing –"**

**Malfoy was only a few feet away and he stopped dead to listen. How much he had heard? Harry didn't like the look on Malfoy's face at all.**

"How much had you heard?" Alice asked him.

"All of it, I knew there was a dragon that Hagrid had and I knew it was hatching, I only needed proof."

**Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology, and in the end, Hermione agreed to run to Hagrid's with the other two during morning break. When the bell sounded the end of their lesson they dropped their trowels and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the Forest. Hagrid greeted them looking flushed and excited.**

"**It's nearly out," he ushered them inside.**

**The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from in it.**

**They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.**

"It's a very rare thing to see, a dragon hatching," said Snape wishing he was the one to see it.

**All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped on to the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; Harry thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to his skinny jet body and it had a long snout with wide nostrils, stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.**

"Harry your descriptions are pure class," laughed Sirius imagining the umbrella with spiny wings looking at him with orange eyes.

"Well I have to have something other than the boy who lived title." He joked.

**It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out its snout.**

"**Isn't he beautiful?"**

"How does he know it's a he?" Lucius asked.

"He doesn't I think he just guessed."

**He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers showing pointed fangs.**

"**Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!" said Hagrid.**

"If a dragon tried to bite my fingers I don't think I'd be going bless!" cried Narcissa like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Don't forget Narcissa, Hagrid sees things different to us, a baby dragon to him is tiny, and not so dangerous but to us a bite could cause some serious damage." Andromeda explained.

"**Hagrid," said Hermione, "How fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly.**

**Hagrid was about to answer when the colour drained to his face – he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.**

"**What's a matter?"**

"**Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains – it's a kid – he's runnin' back up ter school."**

**Harry bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.**

**Malfoy had seen the dragon.**

"I guess you got your proof then?" said Alice.

"Yep," he replied.

**Something about that smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made, Harry, Hermione and Ron very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hit, trying to reason with him.**

"**Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free."**

"**I can't," he said. "He's too little. He'd die."**

**They looked at the dragon; it had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy.**

Dumbledore began to write once again on his list. As every page was turned he had wrote, the group of students, past and present didn't know why he needed so much information. Harry noticed that he hadn't contributed as much as everyone, mainly writing things down, it was slightly unnerving to him as he had no idea what he was scribbling down.

**There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.**

"**I've decided to call him Norbert." **

"He's snapped!" said Lucius shaking his head.

**Hagrid looked at the dragon with misty eyes. "He even knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"**

**"He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Harry's ear.**

"**Hagrid," Said Harry loudly, "give it a fortnight and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore any minute."**

**Hagrid bit his lip.**

"**I – I know I can't keep him for ever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't.**

**Harry suddenly turned to Ron.**

"**Charlie," he said.**

"Of course, your brother Charlie." Andromeda cried.

"What about his brother?"

"Isn't it obvious his brother works with dragons surely he can do something to help them." She explained to Narcissa.

"**Now you're losing it." Ron said. "I'm Ron remember?"**

"**No – Charlie – your brother Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him, and then put him back in the wild!" **

"**Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it Hagrid?"**

**And in the end, Hagrid agreed that could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.**

**The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Hermione and Harry sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled of Harry's Invisibility Cloak.**

"Why is it always Midnight when things happen, it's never five minutes past five. Always midnight," rambled Alice but nobody responded just looked at her weirdly.

**He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.**

James, Sirius and Remus side glanced towards Peter who paled slightly. This didn't go unnoticed by the Lucius.

"Why did you look at Pettigrew when this was read?"

"Peter has a pet rat you see, and we had a feeling he may of envisioned the death of his furry friend." Sirius lied. Lucius didn't believe the tale one bit, but chose not to speak. He glanced over at Harry, Hermione and Ron who had also looked at each other. There was something going on that they were not being told.

"**It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And then when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."**

**Just then there was a tap at the window.**

"**It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"**

**The three of them put their heads together to read the note.**

"I wonder what he said," said Narcissa.

"Well Black if you didn't butt in we'd know." Snapped Lily the stress of reading the book was slowly beginning to get to her.

**Dear Ron,**

**How are you? Thanks for the letter – I'd be glad to take Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here, I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon. **

**Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.**

**Send me answer as soon as possible**

**Love,**

**Charlie.**

"Why do I get this feeling that it's not going to go to plan," moaned Remus.

"Because so far nothing has gone the way we expected it to," chuckled Ron, "And I promise we will not disappoint you all by something going right,"

"Great, why do I get this feeling you three will be worse than the Marauders." Professor McGonagall groaned

"Maybe because they cause trouble, we attract trouble," laughed Harry.

**They looked at each other.**

"**We've got the Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult – I think the Cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert.**

**It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other two agreed with him, anything to get rid of Norbert – and Malfoy.**

"Awe thanks," he droned sarcastically.

**There was a hitch.**

"No surprises there," said Regulus.

**By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know where it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey – would she recognise a dragon bite? By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous. **

**Harry and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.**

"**It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels as though it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me – I've told her it was a dog but I don't think she believes me – shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he'd doing this."**

"You're really becoming a real pain in their lives," said James, "but would you have told on them."

Draco thought for a moment, "yeah I would have actually, I wasn't impressed with Weasley and I had serious problems with Hagrid, it would have gotten him fired and in Azkaban. I see things differently now. But that doesn't mean I didn't say anything to anyone,"

**Harry and Hermione tried to calm Ron.**

"**It'll be all over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt up straight and broke into a sweat.**

"**Midnight on Saturday!" He said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no – oh no – I've just remembered – Charlie's later was in the book that Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert.**

"For crying out loud; something as simple as a letter has got you into so much trouble!" Cried Snape shaking his head, "God help what you'll be like in the future books,"

"Well not much has changed just things are more dangerous," Neville answered for them.

**Harry and Hermione didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.**

"She always does that," mumbled Neville under his breath.

"**It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told Hermione. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we do have the Invisibility Cloak, Malfoy doesn't know that."**

**They found Fang the boarhound sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened the window to talk to him.**

"**I won't let you," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage – nothin' I can't handle.**

**When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg.**

"Sounds really painful, but it's his own fault, who would raise a baby dragon in a wooden hut." said Bellatrix with a smile that was all too familiar to those from the present.

"She may have not joined the Death Eaters yet but I bet she isn't innocent." Neville whispered to Hermione who agreed.

"**Argh! It's alright, he only got my book – jus' playin' – he's only a baby after all."**

"Yes a baby with razor sharp teeth and claws." Bellatrix exclaimed.

**The baby banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle. Harry and Hermione walked back to the castle, feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.**

**They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say goodbye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night. **

"Another predictable statement, it's never a warm dark night with a clear sky, when something illegal is happening." Lily mentioned.

"When have you ever done anything illegal Evans?" asked Narcissa smirking.

"Nothing Black, but if you must know what I'm discussing, in the Muggle World when you watch a film if something illegal is happening at night it's always dark and the sky is misty." But Narcissa along with the other Purebloods looked at her confused.

**They were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the Entrance Hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall. **

**Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate. **

"**He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey."**

"Got this really funny image of a drunken baby dragon trotting around the box because it's drank too much brandy." James chuckled grinning.

"**An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."**

"How ridiculous," Regulus muttered to Andromeda who agreed.

**From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to Harry as though teddy was having his head torn off.**

"**Bye-bye Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione covered the crate with the Invisibility Cloak and stepped underneath it themselves. "Mummy will never forget you!"**

**How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another – even one of Harry's short cuts didn't make the work much easier.**

"**Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower. **

**Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting that they were already invisible shrank into the shadows, staring as the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away.**

"I remember this," laughed Ron looking directly at Draco who scowled at the red-head.

**A lamp flared. Professor McGonagall, in a tartan dressing-gown and a hairnet had Malfoy by the ear.**

"Minnie how attractive," Sirius joked.

"Black!"

"Why she got you by the ear?" Lucius asked his future son.

"You'll see," he mumbled.

"**Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty point from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you –"**

"**You don't understand Professor, Harry Potter's coming – he's got a dragon!"**

"**What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on – I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"**

"What difference was that going to do?" laughed Harry, "He always favoured you."

"I'm sorry Mister Malfoy but you must agree it does sound completely ridiculous." Explained Professor McGonagall

**The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the Cloak glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig.**

"**Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!" **

"Granger! I'm surprised with you, I'd of thought at least Potter or Weasley would do that but you! I'm shocked." Shouted Draco.

"**Don't," Harry advised her.**

**About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.**

**Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert with them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.**

"I've just thought, where is Ron?" voiced Peter.

"I was still in the hospital wing with my hand," Ron explained.

**At last, Norbert was going … going … gone.**

**They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon – Malfoy in detention – what could spoil their happiness. **

"Famous last words," moaned Lily.

**The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.**

**"Well, well, well," he whispered. "We are in trouble."**

**They'd left the Invisibility Cloak on top of the tower.**

"First tip; never forget the Invisibility Cloak,"

"Second tip; stay away from Filch." Said James and Sirius.

"Boys," said Professor McGonagall shaking her head.

"That's the end of the chapter," Draco said.

"Well that was a … strange chapter," said Severus, his brows furrowed together.

"I want to know what will happen to you two," said Alice, "I bet you're going to get detention with Malfoy,"

"You'll have to wait and see," said Hermione.

Just then there was a shining light and a letter, like before, landed in the room.

"This means someone else will be arriving," Remus said happily.

Hermione took the letter and opened it.

Dear students,

I am informing you, that, at the end of the last chapter of the book, another member of the future will be arriving to read alongside you.

Professor McGonagall.

"I wonder who it'll be." Neville said.

"Well if we read on, we'll find out soon." Said Dumbledore.

* * *

**Only three more to go, the ratio between book and own text is about equal I woul say, please review :)**


	17. The Forbidden Forest

**It has taken me sometime to get the chapter up, as it was a long chapter. I've read through the story so I hope all the parts from the book are in bold and those from the characters are in regular. I have a feeling that it won't end up like this though. Hope you enjoy the chapter :)**

* * *

**The Forbidden Forest**

"Okay so if we are all comfortable then it is time to read the next chapter, but at the speed we are going we'll have to get through the next couple of chapters rather quickly if we want to start the next book tomorrow," Professor McGonagall explained.

"How many more chapters have we got to go now?" James asked.

"What chapter is this one?" Harry suddenly asked.

"I'll let you know," Draco said who still had hold of the book. "It is called '**The Forbidden Forest," **He then scrunched up his nose knowing what was to happen in this chapter.

"So if we are on this chapter there should be two more after this one and then this book is finished." Harry explained to them.

"Really is that it? You know what? That really worries me because that must mean that in the next few chapters something bad will happen, and I'm sure something bad will happen in every chapter." Lily moaned who then moaned even louder when she saw that Hermione, Harry and Ron were smirking.

"I think we should decide who is going to read this chapter," Hermione said.

"May I read please?" Narcissa asked and seeing as nobody else asked to read Hermione handed the book to Narcissa.

"So as we know this chapter is called **The Forbidden Forest**, which must mean you get detention."

"Aye I guess we do, how unlucky are we," said Harry who continued to smirk as he knew how everyone was going to take to the plot of the chapter.

"Hold on a minute I thought nobody was allowed near the Forbidden Forest so why are you having detention there?" asked Regulus who was a little confused.

"All in good time," Hermione replied.

"Don't you hate it when they do this," Sirius whispered to James who nodded his head.

"Shall we just get on with the chapter then," said Draco who was beginning to get bored of all the talking.

"Fair enough," said Narcissa who opened the book to the start of the chapter.

**Things couldn't have been worse.**

**Filch took them to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they were sat and waited without saying a word to each other. Hermione was trembling. Excuses, alibis and wild cover up stories chased each other around Harry's brain, each more feeble then the last. He couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time. They were cornered. How could they have been so stupid to forget the Cloak? There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest astronomy tower which was out of bounds except for classes. Add Norbert and the Invisibility Cloak and they might as well be packing their bags all ready.**

"You definitely got yourself in to some trouble here haven't you," chuckled Snape.

"Talk about overreacting," Sirius said shaking his head, "we've been in much more serious trouble then been out of bounds at midnight on the Astronomy tower and we were never excluded from Hogwarts."

"Please it was our first year I was worried about being kicked out and being sent back to the Dursleys." Harry said defending himself.

**Had Harry thought the things could have been worse? He was wrong. When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville.**

**"Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw the two others. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, and he said you had a drag…"**

**Harry shock his head violently too shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the three of them.**

"Oh Neville, how do you get yourself into these messes." Frank said shaking his head.

"It's a talent of mine," Neville told him with a small smile on his face.

"**I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr Filch say you were up in the Astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning _Explain yourself!_"**

**It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a question from a teacher, she was staring at her slipper as still as a statue.**

"**I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it all out. You gave Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believe it, too"**

"That was never our plan," Harry said sadly before looking at Hermione. "We didn't really think this through very well," Hermione laughed agreeing.

"We never meant to get you into trouble Neville, Malfoy maybe because he was so nosey but not you," She told him honestly.

"Yeah, I know that now but at the moment I felt a little hurt but hey at least I know exactly what was going on back then now,"

"What do you mean you weren't bothered about getting me into trouble," Draco questioned while scowling at Hermione and Harry.

"You mainly got yourself into trouble while trying to get us in trouble, that's karma bitch," smirked Harry while Draco scowled at him.

**Harry caught Neville's eye and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true because Neville looked stunned and hurt. Poor, blundering Neville – Harry knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark to tell them what Malfoy was doing.**

"It did you know, it took a lot of effort on my part but if I knew that you had an invisibility cloak I don't think I'd of bothered, would have been slightly pointless." Neville said to Harry who agreed.

"**I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall.**

"Such a disgrace, how could you Professor he is my son, how could you be so disgusted in a Potter?" gasped James faking being shocked, the other marauders shaking their heads at McGonagall didn't speak she just scowled at James.

"**Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before!"**

"Liar, you've caught the four of us out at night god only knows how many times. How dare you lie to students Professor?" said Sirius pretending to punish his Head of House.

"Black," Professor McGonagall warned.

**You Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All three of you will receive detentions – yes, you too, Mr Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk the halls at school at night especially these days, as things are so dangerous – and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."**

"No wonder Gryffindor haven't won the cup in so many years, with the head of house taking fifty points of her students," said Bellatrix smirking as Professor McGonagall scowled at the raven haired witch.

"**Fifty?" Harry gasped – they would lose the lead, the lead he'd won in the last Quidditch match.**

"**Fifty points each," Said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long pointed nose.**

"I agree with Bellatrix, think you've got the right idea Sev," said Lucius looking at the Transfiguration Professor shocked. The Gryffindors looked at her even more shocked.

"I only got 25 points taken off Slytherin," Draco lied.

"**Professor – Please"**

"**You can't"**

"**Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to your beds, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students,"**

"And we've never been so ashamed of you Professor, taking one hundred and fifty points off us, do you want us to lose," said Frank angrily who thought the punishment was much too hard. Even Professor Dumbledore looked at her a little surprised. Professor McGonagall said nothing but understood why everyone was surprised and angry with the results.

**A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the House cup. Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. How could they ever make up for this?**

"It's not so bad, I mean people have lost points before it's no biggie," said Andromeda feeling sorry for them. "But I can now see why you are worse than the Marauders,"

"Yeah Hogwarts didn't know what hit them," chuckled Draco.

**Harry didn't sleep all night. He could hear Neville sobbing into his pillow what seemed like for hours, he just couldn't think of anything to say to him. He knew Neville like himself, was dreading the dawn. What would happen when the rest of the Gryffindor found out what they'd done?**

**At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hour glasses thought there had been a mistake. They couldn't understand how they had suddenly lost a hundred and fifty house points since yesterday. And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years.**

"Now I take offense to that 'stupid first years' how dare they," snapped Hermione angrily who did not like to be called stupid.

**From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated.**

"Now that is just a little over reactive, I don't think you'd of been hated," said Remus, but Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at him with their eyebrows raised. "Really, that's just stupid. I mean I know it is important but at the end of the day it's just house points, we've lost count how many points we've had taken off us altogether."

"Yeah we bet the marauders total at the end of our 5th year. You can blame dear old Professor Snape for that," Ron laughed as Snape rolled his eyes.

"Bloody hell Snape," cursed Sirius half-heartedly.

**Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the House Cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed at him and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him. Slytherins on the other hand, clapped ad he walked past them, whistling and cheering. "Thanks Potter we owe you one!"**

**Only Ron stood by him.**

"Now that is cute," Lily said to Alice who nodded. The two boys blushed as her comments.

"**They'll forget about it in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."**

"**They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go though, have they?" said Harry miserably.**

"**Well – no," Ron admitted.**

**It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from now on.**

"What happened Potter?" Draco asked him smirking.

"It didn't work," Harry replied smiling.

"I was worried that wasn't going to work." Lily said sadly.

"Yeah I think I got involved in something that wasn't my business in all my books and even in the next chapter." He replied looking slightly guilty. Nearly everyone looked at him shocked while some groaned.

"Do you have a thing for trouble Potter?" Bellatrix asked him.

"I guess you could say that," he laughed, "we do have a way of getting ourselves in to an awful lot of trouble."

**He'd had it with sneaking around and spying. He felt so ashamed of himself that he went to Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team. **

"**Resign?" Wood thundered. "What good'll that do, How are we going to get any points back if we can't win Quidditch."**

**But even Quidditch had lost the fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Harry during practise and if they had to speak about him, then they would call him 'the Seeker'**

"That is a form of bullying," Snapped Lily angrily she hadn't liked how everyone was treating her son because of what happened but she was now slowly getting fed up of it.

"It's in the past Lily I'm sure everything will be sorted out soon," James tried to reassure her but he knew that when she was angry it was often best not to do much.

**Hermione and Neville were suffering too. They didn't have a bad as time as Harry, because they weren't as well known but nobody would speak to them either. Hermione had even stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence.**

**Harry was almost glad that the exams weren't far away. All the revision he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Ron and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night trying to remember ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells of by heart, memories the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions…**

"Don't you remember when revising things like that were so easy, now it's just ridiculous?" said Lucius who hated revising.

"Yep, now we have to be able to brew potions that are so difficult, one of the hardest ones I've ever done was the Polyjuice potion," James said not noticing Hermione, Harry and Ron lower their heads slightly while trying to hide grins.

**Then, about a week before the exams were about to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in things that did not concern him took him to an unexpected test. **

"I don't like the sound of this," said Andromeda.

"That makes two of us," Lily told her looking at her son cautiously.

**Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he heard someone whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he came closer, he heard Quirrell's voice.**

"**No – no – not again, please…"**

**It sounded as though someone was hurting him, Harry moved closer.**

"I've just discovered something horrible," said Harry looking horror-stricken.

"What?" Snape asked curious. The whole room looked at him wary.

"I'm really nosey the only other person I know that is this nosey is Aunt Petunia, I'm doomed I'm like her!" Hermione and Ron burst into laughter while Lily and James looked shocked. "Thanks for laughing guys," He grumbled as he looked at his two best friends."

"I'm sorry Harry but - it's funny," Ron said while laughing.

"Narcissa, please continue."

"Alright Harry," she said trying not to laugh as well.

"**All right – all right…" he heard Quirrell sob.**

**Next second, Quirrell came out of the classroom straightening his turban.**

"Again, there is definitely something going on with that turban," said Alice confused.

"Just because it has been mentioned many times doesn't mean it's important, I'd mention is a lot if I knew someone who wore a turban," said Remus, who didn't see it being so important, but Dumbledore looked at Alice with a twinkle in his eye.

**He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry. He strode out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had even noticed him. He waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, and then peered into the classroom. It was empty bit a door stood ajar at the other end. Harry was halfway towards it before he remembered what he had promised himself about not meddling.**

"Damn," Sirius mumbled.

**All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Philosopher's Stones that Snape had left the room, and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step – Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.**

**Harry went back to the library where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. Harry told them what he had heard.**

"**Snape's done it then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark force spell…"**

"**There is still Fluffy," Hermione said.**

"**Maybe Snape's found out to get past him without asking Hagrid," said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here, telling you how to get past a giant three headed dog."**

**The look in Ron's eyes told them he was up for another adventure but before Harry could speak Hermione did for him.**

"I hope you three don't succeed with the plan that Ron has," Professor McGonagall said sternly. Harry shrugged innocently and Hermione and Ron said nothing, which didn't fill the Professor with much hope.

"**Go to Dumbledore that's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."**

"You've got quite a few problems with that. First off you've got no proof; Quirrell is a quivering mess and Snape will act all innocent, pretending that he has no idea how the troll got into the school. Second of all Dumbledore has probably noticed that you and Snape don't exactly see eye to eye, so he may believe that you are doing it to get him sacked. And finally you're not even meant to know anything about Fluffy or the Philosophers stone, how would you have explained all of this," Remus summed up smirking when he was the other Marauders look at him in shock.

"How did you remember all of that," Peter squeaked.

"I'm good at remembering things,"

"You know something Lupin that is pretty much what Harry said in the book," said Narcissa impressed.

"I remember being convinced in what Harry said, but I don't think you were Ron," Hermione said.

"No I was positive if we continued to do a little research then we would have being able to find it but Harry was strongly against it."

"Well seeing as you've managed to tell us the rest of the page I'll finish it off by saying that Harry pulled a map of Jupiter and begun to learn the moons. So I'll start on a different section of the paragraph." Narcissa said looking at everyone to make sure they were ready for her to continue.

**The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:**

**Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall.**

**Prof. M McGonagall.**

**Harry had forgotten they still had detention to do from the event that made them loose the points. He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of revision lost, but she didn't say anything. Like Harry she knew they deserved what they got.**

**At eleven o'clock that night they said goodbye to Ron in the common room and then went down to the entrance hall to meet Neville. Filch was already there and so was Malfoy.**

"I forgot you would had detention as well," said Lucius moving his hair out from his eyes.

"Yep, wish I hadn't though," Draco said. "Not a good memory I must say."

**Harry had also forgotten that Malfoy has got a detention, too.**

"**Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking school rule again, won't you, eh?" he continued, leering at the,. "oh yes … hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me… it's just a pity they let the old punishment die out … hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well-oiled in case there ever needed … Right, off we go and don't think of running off now, it'll be worse for you if you do."**

"I know this is going to sound really sick but doesn't that sound like a sexual fantasy with bondage," said Sirius. The others looked at him wrinkling up their noses and felt a little sick.

"I see your point but that is an extremely disgusting thought. Never bring that up again Padfoot I mean it," said James closing his eyes tightly, scrunching his nose in the process.

**They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffling. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must have been something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding delighted.**

**The moon was bright, but clouds floating across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.**

"**Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."**

**Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have showed in his face, because Filch said "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy – it's into the Forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."**

"I don't think I like this," Regulus said, and like him the group believed exactly the same as him.

"Professor what are you writing?" Peter asked, looking over at Dumbledore who was continuously writing as Narcissa spoke.

"Just certain key moments that is happening in the book." He told them.

**At this Neville let out a little moan and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.**

**"The forest?" He repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night – there are all sorts of things in there like Werewolves,"**

Remus's body stiffened as but nobody paid much attention to it, the three marauders glanced at him to check he was alright before they looked back towards Narcissa.

**Neville clutched Harry's robe sleeve and made a chocking noise.**

"**That's your lookout isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought about all that when you got into trouble, shouldn't you?"**

**Hagrid came striding towards them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.**

"**Abou' time," he said "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right Harry, Hermione?"**

"**I wouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all," **

"**That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturing them eh? Snot your place ter do that, Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."**

**"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily.**

"I've never liked Filch, horrible person he is. Don't even know why he is at Hogwarts can't even produce magic," said Lucius strongly.

"Everyone is welcome at Hogwarts, and that includes Mr Filch." Dumbledore told him, as calm as ever.

**Malfoy turned to Hagrid.**

"**I'm not going in that forest." He said, and Harry was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.**

"**Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."**

"**But this is servant stuff; it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this he'd …"**

"I'd probably tell you to stop whining, and behave." Lucius said.

**Hagrid growled, "Writing lines! What good's that ter anyone? "Yeh'll do summet useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh thing yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"**

**Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously but then dropped his gaze.**

"**Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, "because it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over a here a moment."**

"If it is so dangerous then why are you four doing it?" Alice asked worried for her son's safety.

"Because Hogwarts wants to kill us," Draco said bluntly.

**He led them to the edge of the Forest. Holding his lamp up high he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the Forest.**

"**Look there," said Hagrid, "see that silvery stuff shining on the ground?" That is Unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin badly hurt by summat, this is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might even have to put it out of its misery."**

"I definitely don't like the sound of this," Lily whimpered worried. Dumbledore had stopped writing as he listened carefully frowning at the words.

"Professor isn't Unicorns really quick?" Narcissa asked Professor McGonagall.

"Yes, that's what's very worrying. You see if anything drinks Unicorn blood they can live a little longer but a costly price, their life would be cursed."

"I think I'd rather die than live a cursed life," Peter decided.

"I don't know, if you get to live a life, and then no matter what you suffer from you should still be happy to be alive," said Remus.

"**And what if whatever hurt the Unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.**

**"There is nothin' that lives in the Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're going to split inter two parties an' follow the trail in different directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."**

"Wait a minute," Narcissa stopped reading. "If what you are doing is so dangerous then why is Hagrid allowing you to split away from one another? Shouldn't you all stay with one another, that is just irresponsible behaviour from Hagrid."

"**I want fang," Malfoy said quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth. **

"**All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So I, Harry an' Hermione will go one way an' Draco, Neville an' Fang will go the other. Now if any of us finds the Unicorn we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practise now – that's it – an' if anyone gets into trouble send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an find yeh – so be careful – let's go"**

**The forest was black and silent A little way into it they reached a fork in the path and Harry, Hermione and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right.**

**They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silvery blue blood on the falled leaves.**

**Harry saw that Hagrid looked worried.**

"**Could a Werewolf be killing the Unicorns?" Harry asked.**

"**Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's now east ter catch a Unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before."**

"Interesting,"mumbled Dumbledore writing on his note pad once again.

"If a werewolf isn't fast enough to catch a Unicorn then what is?" James summed up.

"That's I'm wondering Mister Potter, another look to it could possibly be, what is smart enough to kill one." Professor McGonagall said looking at the four children closely. Neither, Harry, Hermione, Draco or Neville showed any signs to what was going to happen.

**They walked past a mossy tree-stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still spots of Unicorn blood here and there along the winding path. **

"**You alright Hermione?" Hagrid whispered "Don't worry it cant've gone far if it's this badly hurt an' then we'll be able ter GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"**

Lily and Alice held their breath.

**Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into the crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground. **

"What is it," whispered Peter worried.

"You'll soon find out," Harry told the timid boy who he was slowly seeing in a different light to the cruel man he knew in the future.

"Great, so you're walking next to your death." Said Frank

"You know you could actually say that." Harry replied.

**Hagrid squinting up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.**

"**I knew it," he murmured, "There's summat in here that shouldn't be."**

"**A werewolf?" Harry suggested.**

"Harry I don't think that night had a full moon," Hermione said. The three others looked at her and then burst out laughing.

"Great we were worried about a bloody werewolf and it wasn't even a fully bloody moon." Draco said shaking his head.

"**That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn't no unicorn either," said Hagrid grimly. Right follow me, but careful now"**

**They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.**

"**Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself – I'm armed!" **

**And into the clearing came p was it a man or a horse? To the waist a man with red hair and a beard, but below that was a horses gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped.**

"A centaur, my favourite mythological creature," said Lily "Well I guess they're not really mythological but to Muggles they are."

"**Oh it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?"**

**He walked forward and shoo the centaur's hand.**

"**Good evening to you too Hagrid," said Ronan he had a deep, sorrowful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?"**

**Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur." **

"**We noticed," said Hermione faintly.**

"**Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much up at that school?"**

"**Erm…"**

"**A bit," said Hermione timidly.**

"**A bit, well that is something." Ronan sighed. He flung back his hair and stared at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight."**

"**Yeah," said Hagrid, glancing up too. "Listen I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a Unicorn bin hurt, - you seen anythin?"**

"The main problem with a centaur is their stargazing. They hardly ever give a straight answer." Professor McGonagall said.

"Professor is it true that they are also physic can see the future and all that." Severus asked.

"Yes they can, their ability to see in the future makes them a perfect ally." She explained to him. "In the war we are hoping to have them on our side."

**Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upwards, and then sighed again.**

**"Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."**

"**Yeah," said Hagrid, "but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anything unusual?"**

"**Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated while Hagrid watched impatiently. "Unusually bright."**

"**Yeah but I mean anything unusual a little closer to home," said Hagrid "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"**

**Yet again Ronan took a while to answer. At last, he said, "The forest hides many secrets"**

"I don't understand any of this," said Sirius confused.

"I think that's the whole point, I think Ronan knew what was going on but didn't want to say, so he made up a bunch of riddles for us to try and work it out," Hermione explained to him.

"That is just silly, why doesn't he just say no he knows nothing or just tell us it?" he said back.

"Simply because centaurs don't lie and their mystical, they do not associate with humans." Sirius huffed and Narcissa continued to read.

**A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black haired and bodied and wilder looking than Ronan.**

"**Hullo Bane," said Hagrid. "All right?" **

"**Good evening Hagrid, I hope you are well?"**

"**Well good enough. Look I've just' bin askin' Ronan, you see anything odd in here lately? Only there's a Unicorn bin injured – would yeh know anything about it?"**

**Bane walked over to Ronan. He looked skywards.**

**"Mars is bright tonight," he said simply.**

"They really like Mars," Bellatrix chuckled.

"They saying a key point by mentioning Mars does anyone know what the planet Mars associates with?"

"It's named after a god I know that," Lily answered Hermione's question.

"But what type of god was Mars?" Hermione asked Lily.

"He was the god of war – wait the god of war, he's like informing you of future."

"Sort of, he's told us exactly what is in the forest, and this person has something to do with the war." Hermione explained to them. It was there that Harry and Ron understood what she meant.

"I never thought of it like that," Harry told her surprised.

"I've only just realised it myself."

"Realised what?" Lucius asked her.

"You'll find out in the chapter." She told him, "Carry on reading please Narcissa."

"**We've heard," said Hagrid grumpily. "Well if either of you do see anythin' let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then."**

**Harry and Hermione followed him out of the clearing, staring over their shoulders at Ronan and Bane until the trees blocked their view.**

"**Never," said Hagrid irritable, "try and get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy star-gazes. Not interested in anythin' closer than the moon."**

"**Are there many of them in here?" asked Hermione.**

"**Oh, a fair few … Keep themselves to themselves mostly but they're good enough about turnin' up if you ever want a word. They're deep minds, centaurs … they know things … just don't let on too much."**

"**Do you think it was a centaur we heard earlier?" said Harry**

"**Did that sound like horses hooves to you? Nah if yeh ask me; that was what's killin' the unicorns – never heard anythin' like it before."**

**They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Harry kept looking nervously over his shoulder.**

"They wouldn't have hurt you," said Remus smiling softly at Harry.

"I didn't want to be too careless," he replied.

**He was very glad Hagrid had his crossbow with them. They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.**

"**Hagrid look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"**

"Oh no," said Alice but she frowned when she saw Hermione, Harry and Neville frown at Draco who looked very guilty. "I have a feeling you've done something," she then said looking directly at Draco.

"Me? Why do you think I did anything," he said smiling sheepishly.

"**You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted "Stay on the path; I'll come back for yeh."**

**They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of the leaves around them.**

"**You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" whispered Hermione.**

"**I don't care if Malfoy has,"**

"Oh well thanks a lot," he said sarcastically glaring at the youngest Potter.

"**But if something's got Neville… it's our fault he's here in the first place.**

**The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Harry seemed to be picking every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig. What was going on? Where were the others?**

**At last, a great crushing noise announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Neville and Fang were with him. Hagrid was fuming. Malfoy, it seemed had sneaked behind Neville and grabbed him for a joke. Neville panicked and sent up the sparks.**

The group glared at Draco who mumbled, "Some people just can't take a joke."

"I don't think Hagrid will keep you in the same group now," said Andromeda thoughtfully.

Neither of the four spoke, not wanting to tell her if she was right because it would tell her the answer in the book.

"**We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right we're changing groups – Neville, you stay with me' and Hermione, Harry you go with Fang and this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid added to Harry in a whisper, "but he'll have a harder time trying to frighten you, an' we've gotta get this done"**

"Whenever you're left alone without an adult something always happens," Lily said worried. "And I don't think Malfoy will be much protection if anything happens."

**So Harry set off into the heart of the Forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the Forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick.**

"Headmaster, if we're not allowed into the Forest, then why does it have a path?" Narcissa stopped reading to ask.

"Well Miss Black, many creatures in the forest will use it to see where they are, and to follow. Students are not allowed in the forest but there is no rule on teachers being allowed into the forest." He explained to her.

**Harry thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashed on the roots of a tree, as the poor creature had been thrashing in pain close by Harry could see a clearing ahead, though the tangled branches or an ancient oak.**

"**Look…" he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.**

**Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.**

**It was a Unicorn all right and it was dead. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly white on the dark leaves.**

"That's horrible," said Frank, "but you both are privileged to see such a beautiful creature, and they are quick but also very shy."

"I can still see the Unicorn in my head, how it was laid and the blood and the tear that was hanging on the side of its face," Harry said quietly.

**Harry had taken one step towards it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered… then, out of the shadows a hooded figure cam crawling across the grounds like some stalking beast. Harry, Malfoy and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the Unicorn; it lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side and began to drink its blood.**

Narcissa stopped reading and the whole room sat in silence. "Wh – who would do such a thing," said Peter feeling empty.

"I think I have an idea but, I do hope I am wrong," said Dumbledore. Harry knew instantly who Dumbledore meant and looked at the Headmaster straight in the eye and then lowered his head to show he was right. The group watched Harry and Dumbledore and then the Headmaster looked very sad and Harry emotionless.

"**AAAAAAARGH!"**

**Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted – so did Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry – unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly towards him – he couldn't move for fear.**

**Then a pain pierced his head like he'd never felt before, it was as though his scar was on fire – half-blinded, he staggered backwards. He heard hooves, behind him, galloping, and then something jumped clean over him, charging at the figure.**

**The pain in Harry's head was so bad he fell to his knees. It took a minute or two to pass. When he looked up, the figure had gone.**

"Oh thank god." Sighed Lily who had tears running down her face; James wrapped an arm around her shoulders gently rubbing them to sooth her.

"But that wasn't the first time your scar has burned though. In the Great Hall at the beginning of the year it burned when you saw Snape," said Bellatrix. At this the whole room looked at Snape in shock. He himself sat in shock, the idea that he would drink the blood of a Unicorn made him feel visibly sick.

**A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blonde hair and a palomino body.**

"**Are you alright?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet.**

**"Yes – thank you – what was that?"**

**The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishing blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar which stood out, livid, on his forehead.**

"**You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest isn't safe at this time – especially for you. Can you ride? It'll be much quicker this way,"**

"**My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so Harry could clamber on to his back.**

"Hmm interesting, it is very rare for a Centaur to ever do this; they are very hostile in their approach to life. Vary rarely caring much for a Human." Professor McGonagall explained.

**There was suddenly more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.**

"**Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a Common mule?"**

"**Do you realise who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this Forest, the better."**

"**What have you been telling him?" growled Bane. "Remember we are sworn not to set ourselves against the Heavens. Have we not read what it so come in the movements of the planets?"**

"Yep, and all they could say was, Mars is bright" said James rolling his eyes.

**Ronan pawed the ground nervously.**

"**I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said, in his gloomy voice.**

**Bane kicked his back legs in anger.**

"**For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with that has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our Forest!"**

**Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on.**

"**Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this Forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."**

"I think I like this centaur better than the other two." Regulus said, "He seems much friendlier,"

"Do you think Bane is the unspoken leader?" Sirius asked.

"I dunno if he is the leader but he does seem to be the boss, I think it's because he's the eldest," said Harry.

**And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best as he could, they plunged off into trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind.**

**Harry didn't have a clue what was going.**

"**Why's Bane so angry?" he asked. "What was that thing you saved me from anyway?"**

**Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry to keep his head bowed in case of low-hanging branches but did not answer Harry's question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Harry thought Firenze didn't want to talk to him anymore. They were passing through a dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.**

**Harry Potter, do you know what Unicorn blood is for?"**

"We went over this earlier didn't we?" said Ron.

"Yeah," said Alice.

"**No," said Harry, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."**

"**That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who had nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life from the moment the blood touches your lips."**

**Harry stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight.**

"That's just spooky. But still who'd do something so horrible." Lucius said.

"I agree with Lucy unfortunately, I'd still rather die than live a cursed life." Peter said. "I mean I'm unlucky as it is, I don't need to be even more unlucky!"

"I know how you feel," said Neville.

"I couldn't kill something like that, I know in medieval times it was hunting but still, it's cruel and you're taking a life of something so pure," Lily strongly said.

"How do people get the horn and tail hair of a Unicorn?" asked Severus Snape.

"Well Mr Snape; when a Unicorn dies they'll chop of the horn and tail. But it like Miss Evans said about hunting. There are many witches and wizards that go sporting for Unicorn. They'll never drink the blood but they'll take the hair and the horn." Dumbledore explained to him.

"**But who'd be that desperate?" he wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed for ever, death's better, isn't it?"**

"**It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else – something that will bring you back to full strength and power –something that will mean you can never die. Mr Potter do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"**

"**The Philosopher's stone! Of course – the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who…"**

"It's going a little off topic but I've had a thought. Why would Snape need to drink Unicorn's blood? He isn't dying, so he doesn't need to anything to keep him alive," said Alice. "So that must mean it wasn't Snape drinking the Unicorn blood."

"But if it wasn't him, then who was it?" James asked her.

"I'm not sure," she told him sadly. The headmaster caught the looks that, Harry, Ron and Hermione shared once more, and he decided that Alice's query of Quirrell being behind this seemed much more certain.

"**Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who was clung to life, awaiting their chance?"**

"No!" gasped Lily in shock. "I know who it is," she said close to tears.

"Who?" asked Andromeda but Lily shook her head; unable to talk.

**It was though an iron fist had clenched over Harry's heart. Over the rustling of the trees, he seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told him on the night they had met. "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human in him left to die."**

"**Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol…"**

The group from the present sat in silence. They had never considered Voldermort to be the person drinking the Unicorn blood as they believed him to be dead. James and Lily looked over at their son and for the first time so far they really feared for the future. They knew he would survive but they didn't know what he had to face to still live. At only eleven he had witnessed some horrible things while at Hogwarts and they were sure it would continue. The other two parents looked at their son.

Alice and Frank worried for Neville it had been proven that he was clumsy and without them there would he still be safe.

Lucius and Narcissa looked at Draco and saw a boy who's eyes were dull and they could see the scars and bruises and knew that his life would be very different that the four others from the future, being who he is. They were not sure if they truly wanted to know what happened to their only child. But for Lily, Narcissa and Alice fear was surrounding their hearts.

"**Harry! Harry are you alright?"**

**Hermione was running towards them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.**

"**I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what to say. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid it's in the clearing over there."**

"**This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."**

**Harry slid off his back.**

"**Good luck Harry Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."**

**He turned and cantered back into the depths of the Forest, leaving Harry shivering behind.**

**Ron had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. He shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Harry roughly shook him awake. In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Harry began to tell him and Hermione what had happened in the forest. **

"It feels weird been mentioned in the book again," whispered Ron to Harry, who had not been mentioned for a while. Harry smiled in amusement at his friend.

**Harry couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. He was still shaking.**

"**Snape wants the stone for Voldermort … and Voldermort's waiting in the Forest … and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich."**

"**Stop saying the name!" Ron said in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldermort could hear them.**

**Harry wasn't listening.**

"**Firenze saved me but he shouldn't have done… Bane was furious … he was talking about interfering with what the planets had said is going to happen… They must show that Voldermort is back … Bane thinks Firenze should let Voldermort kill me… I suppose that's written in the stars as well"**

"**Will you stop saying the name!" hissed Ron.**

"You can always tell when someone has been raised in the Muggle world and the Wizard world. Those from the Muggle World don't fear the name Voldermort where as those from the Wizarding daren't say it. Scared something terrible will happen." Bellatrix said not worrying about using his given name.

"**So all I've got to wait for now it Snape to steal the Stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldermort will be able to come and finish me off… Well, I suppose Bane will be happy.**

**Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.**

**"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. With Dumbledore around, "You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right. It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall say's that a very imprecise branch of magic."**

The four boys from the future rolled their eyes at that statement. All knowing that she doesn't trust anything that she couldn't get out of a book.

**The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over.**

**When Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his Invisibility Cloak folded neatly underneath them. There was a note pinned to it: Just in Case.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Narcissa said placing the book down on her knee.

"I'm guessing the Invisibility Cloak on the bed was you're doing headmaster." Said Professor McGonagall; looking at the Headmaster sourly.

"I think this has been the worst chapter so far," said Frank, squeezing Alice's shoulder who was still a little shaken.

"I agree, I don't think I'll be going near the Forbidden Forest anytime soon," said James who couldn't stop imagining the reality of Harry's situation.

"I think a nice drink to calm the nerves is in order for some of you," said Dumbledore creating cups of butter beer with a little brandy in to warm them all up. The group sat in silence reflecting what they had heard as they sipped at their drink.

"I think it'll be best if we move on to the next chapter," said Professor McGonagall who looked at her students sadly. She could see the pain that some of them were in and she could see the dangers much clearer that the five from the future were facing, and this made her worry for the future.

* * *

**Please review, spelling and grammar are probably not great but I've given it ago; thanks for reading**


	18. Through the Trapdoor

**It's been awhile but here is the next chapter, please enjoy :)**

* * *

Through the Trapdoor

"Okay so, who'd like to read the upcoming chapter?" asked Hermione, "how about you Harry?"

"Alright, I knew I'd have to read eventually," he said taking the book. He looked at the chapter name and groaned.

"What's the chapter called?" Lily asked worried.

"**Through the Trapdoor**," he said looking at Hermione and Ron.

"That dog in the room was stood on something, please tell me you didn't go down there," Alice said looking between the three warily.

"Okay we won't," Ron said smiling while, everyone looked at him alarmed.

"Please begin reading Mr Potter," Professor McGonagall said grimly.

**In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Voldermort to come bursting thought the door at any moment. Yet the days crept by and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.**

**It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classrooms where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.**

**They had practical exams too. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his classroom to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across the desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuff-box – points were given for how pretty the snuff-box was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion. **

**Harry did the best he could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his forehead which had been bothering him ever since his trip into the Forest. Neville thought Harry had a bad case of exam nerves because Harry couldn't sleep, but the truth was Harry kept being woken by his old nightmare, except it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.**

Harry looked at Neville who looked shocked, "Well you kept that quiet," he said smirking.

"I tried," he winked laughing.

"I'm so glad you can see the funny side to this," snapped Lily scowling at Harry.

"Of course I can, to me this was 7 years ago. I've faced it and look I'm fine,"

**Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry had seen in the Forest or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Harry. The idea of Voldermort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting their dreams, and they were so busy with revision they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.**

**Their very last exam was History of Magic.**

"Personally the hardest one ever because Binns was so boring you always fell asleep in his lessons, so when it came to the exam you were screwed cause you knew nothing," said James scratching the back of his head.

**One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put their quills down and roll up their parchments Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.**

"I don't really think the first year tests really count, all it does is show you what the exams would be like," said Lucius.

"Actually Mr Malfoy the first year tests are very important for teachers, as it shows us which students are struggling with the class, who are doing well. What students find different and what they understand. This means in the second year staff can alter their teaching methods to help the students." Explained Professor McGonagall, "also it's proven in the Muggle World that if a child is use to exams in younger years they know what to expect when the exams become more important."

"**That was far easier than I thought it was going to be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out into the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learnt the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."**

**Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterwards, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.**

"Risky, one wrong move and the giant squid could take them into the water," said Regulus frowning.

"The creatures of Hogwarts liked the twins," said Hermione sorrow in her voice.

"**No more revision," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."**

**Harry was rubbing his forehead.**

"**I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting – it's happened before, but never as often as this."**

"**Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.**

"**I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning … it means danger's coming…"**

"I don't like the sound of this, the last time your scar hurt was when you saw You Know Who in the Forest," said Remus frowning. "It's got to have something to do with him, but how it's not like he can look in to your thoughts,"

"I know why, you'll have to wait and see," said Harry smirking.

"Have you been hanging around with mini Malfoy here, you've caught his smirk," said Peter looking between Harry and Draco.

"Nope, it must have rubbed off, I saw it quite a lot, but normally it fell into an open mouth from shock," Harry teased, watching Draco scowl. "Or that,"

**Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.**

"**Harry relax, Hermione's right, the stone's safe as long as Dumbledore is around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once; he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville we play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."**

"For your information Ron, I could have played Quidditch for England," said Neville straight-faced but you could see the corner of his mouth turning up.

"Sure Nev, have you been on a broom since that incident?" Ron asked.

"Yep a couple of times, I try not too bad things happen when my feet are on the ground off the ground is like suicidal."

**Harry nodded, but he couldn't shake off a lurking feeling that there was something he'd forgotten to do, something important. When he tried to explain this, Hermione said; "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was half way through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one." **

**Harry was quite sure the unsettled feelings didn't have anything to do with the work, though. He watched an owl flutter towards the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth. Hagrid was the only one who sent him letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past fluffy … never … but –"**

"Oh no," said Lily, "Don't like the sound of this,"

**Harry suddenly jumped to his feet.**

"**Where you going?" said Ron sleepily.**

"**I've just thought of something," said Harry. He had gone white. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."**

"**Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.**

"**Don't you think it's a bit off," said Harry scrambling up the grassy slope, "that Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against Wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I think this before?" **

"I don't understand," said Narcissa frowning. "Okay I get the oddity of Hagrid getting a dragon but what does this have to do with your weird feeling?"

"You'll see soon, and don't worry about it. Ron didn't get what I was on about to start with." Harry told her.

**Harry sprinted across the grounds towards the Forest. **

**Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house, his trousers and sleeves were rolled up and he was shelling peas into a bowl.**

"**Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"**

"**Yes please," said Ron, but Harry cut across him.**

"**No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know the night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"**

"I think I know where you were going with this Mr Potter," said Dumbledore warily.

"**Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "He wouldn't take his cloak off." He saw the three of them looked stunned and raised his eyebrows.**

"**It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head – that's the pub down in the village. Might a bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."**

**Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas.**

"**What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"**

"**Mighta come up," said Hagrid frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah … he asked what I did an' I told him I was gamekeeper here … he asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after … so I told him … an' I said what I'd always wanted was a dragon … an' then … I can't remember too well, cause he kept buyin' me drinks … Let's see … yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted … but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn't' want it ter go ter any old home … so I told him, after Fluffy a dragon would be easy…"**

"Oh no," groaned Sirius.

"He'll have told him how to get past Fluffy, the man was Snape." He said shocked.

Everyone looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione but all stayed mute.

"So that means Snape knows how to get past Fluffy so he can go after the stone," said Peter. "Which, means you three will go after him,"

"Harry Potter you better not!" snapped Lily.

"Erm Lily, this has already happened so telling him now won't do a bit of difference." Alice said quietly.

"**And did he – did he seem interested in Fluffy?" harry asked trying to keep his voice calm.**

"**Well – yeah – how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music and' he'll go straight off ter sleep –"**

"Oh Hagrid," said Frank shaking his head.

**Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.**

"**I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey – where're yeh goin'?"**

**Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the Entrance Hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.**

"**We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy and it was either Snape or Voldermort under that cloak – it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him, Where's Dumbledore's office?"**

"Had you never visited Dumbledore's office? We were there in the first week," James said smugly.

"No we had more things to worry about," Harry informed him laughing.

**They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.**

"**We'll just have to –" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the halls.**

**"What are you three doing inside?"**

"**It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.**

"**We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry and Ron thought.**

"Am I really that scary Mr Potter," professor McGonagall asked smirking.

"Well seeing as we've been told off countless times by you in the past yes." Harry said, looking to Ron who nodded in agreement. Hermione sat there and rolled her eyes.

"I must agree with Potter," said Draco smirking, "You are quite scary." He said cockily.

"I think that also," Neville said quietly.

"Longbottom at the start you were always scared," said Draco rolling his eyes.

"That's enough, I should never have said anything," said Professor McGonagall frowning.

"**See Professor Dumbledore," Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"**

**Harry swallowed – now what?**

"**It's sort of a secret," he said, but wished he hadn't as Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.**

"**Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the ministry of magic and flew off for London at once."**

"Just typical," said Snape, "always the case when you need someone or when something is happening."

"But if Dumbledore has gone then Snape or He Who Must Not be Named can easily get the stone," said Andromeda, "an I think you three have already discovered this, which gives us the title. You're going to stop them from getting the stone."

Everyone looked at Andromeda and then back to Harry, to Ron and then to Hermione.

"Please tell me you didn't," said James slowly but none spoke. "Screw bloody Voldermort son you're gonna be the death of me!"

"**He's gone," said Harry frantically. "Now?"**

"**Professor Dumbledore is a very great Wizard, Potter; he has many demands on his time …"**

"**But this is important."**

"**Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"**

"Anything anyone says is better than the Ministry of Magic," mumbled Ron.

"**Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor – it's about the Philosopher's Stone …"**

**Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms but she didn't pick them up."**

"**How do you know …?" she spluttered.**

"**Professor, I think – I know – that Sn – that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."**

**She eyed him with mixture of shock and suspicion.**

"**Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."**

"If three first years will be able to get to it, it's obviously not going to be that well-guarded." Regulus said.

"Hmm, the fact that the three of you have figured it all out is very impressive," said Professor Dumbledore impressed.

"**But Professor…"  
"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered the fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."**

"Bet she leaves and goes into the staffroom and announces Potter, Weasley and Granger know about the Philosophers stone." Lucius said.

**But they didn't**

"Didn't think they would," said Remus, "you really do take after you father Harry," Harry smiled.

"**It's tonight," Harry said, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trap door tonight. He's found out everything he needs and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note; I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."**

"**But what can we –"**

**Hermione gasped. Harry and Ron wheeled round.**

**Snape was standing there."**

**Good afternoon, he said smoothly.**

**They stared at him.**

"**You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd twisted smile.**

"Snape smiling!" said Neville looked shocked. Even Draco looked a little surprised.

"I know bit of a shock for us back then, he was glaring at us. Looking back at it now, he'll have heard everything. Probably was a little impressed." Harry said.

"I never thought of it like that," Hermione agreed, she said smiling at Severus Snape who smiled cautiously back.

"**We were –" Harry began, without any idea what he was going to say.**

"**You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will; think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can they?"**

**Harry flushed. They turned to go back outside, but Snape called them back.**

"**Be warned Potter – any more night-time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."**

**He strode off in the direction of the staff room.**

**On the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.**

"**Right this is what we have to do," he whispered urgently **

"I don't like the use of urgently," said Andromeda.

"**One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape – wait outside staff room and follow him he leaves. Hermione, you'd better do that."**

"**Why me?"**

**"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know. "He out on a high voice, "Of Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got questions fourteen B wrong…"**

"Haha, Granger that is somet you'd actually do," laughed Draco, stopping abruptly when he witnessed Hermione's hand inch towards her wand in her pocket.

"Want to say that again Ferret," she whispered raising her right eyebrow.

"Nope," he gulped, his eyes glancing to her wand.

"**Oh shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go watch for Snape.**

"**And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron, "C'mon."**

**But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner has they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again, and this time, she lost her temper."**

"I wouldn't be too worried about her losing her temper; it's something that happens quite often." Said Professor Dumbledore who didn't seemed fazed by the stares he was getting from Professor McGonagall.

"Brave Professor," said Sirius smirking, "Such a spoilt sport Minnie,"

"Mr Black I mean it, if you can me Minnie one more time I'll hex you to the moon." Sirius sat and smirked but chose to keep quiet.

"**I suppose you think you are harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" She stormed. "Enough of this nonsense if I hear you have come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes Mr Weasley, from my own house."**

"Professor you need to get your priorities in order, like we said no wonder Gryffindor never gets the house cup, when you're subtracting 50 points at a time," said Frank.

**Harry and Ron went back to the common room. Harry had just said, "at least Hermione's on Snape's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione walked in.**

"**I'm sorry Harry!" she wailed. "Snape's came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away. I don't know where Snape went,"**

"**Well that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.**

**The other two stared at him. He was pale and his eyes were glittering.**

"**I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get the Stone first."**

"**You're mad!" said Ron. **

"**You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said you'll be expelled."**

"**SO WHAT?" Harry shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldermort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore can't you see?" **

"He definitely has Evans temper," whispered Lucius to Bellatrix who smirked.

"Well Potter is all about pranking, when Miss Prissy doesn't like something everybody has to know about it." she muttered, "she's really getting on my nerves now, gasping at this yelling at that. I just want to cast a silence spell on her."

"I know how you feel, don't get me wrong I understand some things are bad but please get a grip love it's not happened yet." The two friends smirked, it didn't go unnoticed by Hermione, and she wondered what they had been discussing.

"**D'you thinks he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor win the House Cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldermort to find me there. It's only dying a bit later than I would have done, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through the trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldermort killed my parents remember?"**

"**You're right Harry," said Hermione in a small voice.**

"**I'll use the Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. "It's just lucky I got it back."**

"Do you think Dumbledore gave you it back because he knew you'd go down to the trapdoor?" said Andromeda

"Maybe, but if he knew he'd never gave me it back," said Harry.

"**But will it cover all three of us?" said Ron.**

"**All – all three of us?"**

"**O****h, come of it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"**

"**Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful…"**

"**But if we get caught, you two will be expelled too."**

"**Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick fold me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve per cent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."**

"One hundred and twelve per cent, in you charms exam. That's one of the highest scores a first year has ever gotten from an exam," said Professor McGonagall shocked, even Dumbledore looked a little surprised.

**After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry anymore, after all. This was the first night he hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming though all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try and break. Harry and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do. **

**Slowly the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.**

"**Better get the Cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He pulled out the Cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid has given him for Christmas. He pocketed it to use on Fluffy – he didn't feel much like singing.**

**He ran back down to the common room. **

"**We'd better put the Cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us – if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own …"**

"**What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room.**

"Who is it? Professor McGonagall?" said Lily anxiously.

"Nope, it was me," said Neville smirking, while looking towards Hermione who looked down.

"What's going to happen," said Bellatrix frowning. She sensed something between Hermione and Neville had happened but she wasn't sure what she had done to him.

**Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.**

"**Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the Cloak behind his back.**

**Neville stared at their guilty faces.**

"**You're going out again." He said.**

"**No, no, no," said Hermione. "No we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville."**

"You're rubbish liars," laughed Severus. The three of them nodded smiling.

"We were desperate," Hermione chuckled glad to see Severus smile.

**Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.**

"**You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."**

"**You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important."**

**But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.**

"**I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll — I'll fight you!"**

"Aww how brave," cooed Alice smiling at her son who blushed.

"**Neville, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot —"**

"**Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"**

"**Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."**

**He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.**

"**Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"**

**Harry turned to Hermione.**

"**Do something," he said desperately.**

**Hermione stepped forward.**

"**Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."**

**She raised her wand.**

"**Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.**

**Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.**

"As if you cursed someone in your own house," said Lucius staring at Hermione amazed. Everyone else looked at her, some had their mouths hanging open wide, some looked angry and some had their eyebrows raised with a smirk on the face. Hermione lowered head, glancing over at Harry to get him to continue reading.

**Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.**

"**What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.**

"**It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."**

"**We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.**

"**You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak.**

**But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs Norris skulking near the top.**

"**Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head. As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs Norris turned her lamp-like eyes on them, but didn't do anything.**

"How could you resist not kicking that cat?" said James shaking his head. "That would be the first thing I'd do."

"Trust me, if we hadn't been doing what we were doing, I would have," winked Ron before catching the stern eye of Professor McGonagall. "Sorry Professor," he mumbled.

**They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.**

"**Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"**

**He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.**

"**Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."**

**Harry had a sudden idea.**

"**Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."**

"Bloody brilliant Harry, truly brilliant," laughed Sirius clapping. Harry rolled his eyes but smiled.

"You get your best ideas when you panic Potter," Regulus said.

"I've been told that before," Harry said thinking back to the Triwizard Tournaments.

**Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.**

"**So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake — I didn't see you — of course I didn't, you're invisible — forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."**

"**I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."**

"**I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."**

**And he scooted off.**

"**Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron.**

**A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor — and the door was already ajar.**

"**Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."**

**Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other two.**

"**If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."**

"You never except help do you Harry?" said Alice thinking.

"No he doesn't," said Ron. "Throughout the seven books we'll be telling him to shut up as we're going to do it together." Harry smiled guiltily.

"**Don't be stupid," said Ron.**

"**We're coming," said Hermione.**

**Harry pushed the door open.**

**As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.**

"**What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.**

"**Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."**

"**It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harry. "Well, here goes…"**

**He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased — it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.**

"**Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"**

"Smooth Weasley," smirked Draco.

"Would you have wanted to go first?" Ron asked him; Draco thought for a second and then shook his head. "Anyways I was always told it was ladies first."

"**No, I don't!"**

"**All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.**

"**What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.**

"**Nothing — just black — there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."**

**Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.**

"**You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."**

**Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.**

**Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.**

**He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"**

"**Right," said Ron.**

"**See you in a minute, I hope…"**

"You hope, if I was still alive in the future I'd bloody use a sticking charm on your behind to a chair so you wouldn't get yourself nearly killed." Lily Yelled. "You could have fallen down there and just died!"

"Lily calm down yelling at him would do nothing," said Alice trying to sooth her friend.

**And Harry let go. Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and —**

**FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.**

"**It's okay!" he called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"**

**Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry.**

"**What's this stuff?" were his first words.**

"**Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!"**

**The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side.**

"**We must be miles under the school," she said.**

"**Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.**

"**Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"**

**She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.**

"Devils Snare, you've got to stay still so you can sink through, if you struggle it can suffocate you," explained Neville, looking at a few confused faces.

"So that's the first charm to save the Stone," said Narcissa, glancing over to Dumbledore to see he was already scribbling in his notebook again.

**Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.**

"**Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is — it's Devil's Snare!"**

"**Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.**

"**Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.**

"**Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.**

"**Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare… what did Professor Sprout say? — it likes the dark and the damp."**

"**So light a fire!" Harry choked.**

"**Yes — of course — but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.**

"**HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"**

"Please I panicked, when you are under stress the answer doesn't always come to you so quickly," Hermione explained.

"That is why so many struggle with their exams, they stress out about it and because of the stress they can't think of the correct answer." Professor McGonagall informed them. "The best thing to do is have a good night's sleep before the exam and go in relaxed and not to worry."

"**Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.**

"**Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.**

"**Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis — 'there's no wood,' honestly."**

"**This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.**

**All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon — Norbert had been bad enough…**

"I doubt there would be a dragon down there because of the law." Dumbledore said. "Training dragons are very difficult we would not have the time to do such a thing here at Hogwarts."

"Well Gringotts train their dragon by noises and pain. They'll make a noise and inflict pain on to the creature. So when they hear the noise they'll expect pain and cower away." Hermione informed told them, watching the horrified expression appear on their faces.

"That's horrible, how you could do that to someone?" said Peter.

"Goblins are not the same as humans; I guess their moral rights are different to ours."

"**Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.**

**Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.**

"**Do you think it's a ghost?"**

"**I don't know… sounds like wings to me."**

"**There's light ahead — I can see something moving."**

**They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.**

"**Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.**

"**Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once… well, there's no other choice… I'll run."**

**He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.**

**The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.**

"Let's think about this, the door is locked magic doesn't work on it but there is something above them flying about. I could be wrong but I believe the answer will be above them," said Bellatrix.

"Of course whatever is above them will be the key to unlock the door." Andromeda said sending a small smile to her estranged sister.

"The devils snare will have belonged to Professor Sprout, but who would this belong too?" asked Lucius.

"I'm not sure yet," said Dumbledore frowning.

"**Now what?" said Ron.**

"**These birds… they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.**

**They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering —glittering?**

"**They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys — look carefully. So that must mean…" he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys. "… yes — look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"**

"**But there are hundreds of them!"**

**Ron examined the lock on the door.**

"**We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one — probably silver, like the handle."**

**They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.**

**Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.**

"**That one!" he called to the others. "That big one — there — no, there — with bright blue wings — the feathers are all crumpled on one side."**

**Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.**

"Good move," teased James.

"Shut up," Ron mumbled.

"I'm impressed that you worked it out, I also believe that it's Professor Flitwick spell he's charmed the keys to fly." Alice smiling said.

"What worries me is the fact these enchantments where meant to be so difficult to get past but three first years are managing It." said McGonagall shaking her head disappointed.

"**We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above — Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"**

**Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.**

**They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned – it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.**

"**Ready?" Harry asked the other two, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.**

**The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.**

**They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard,**

**behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly – the towering white chessmen had no faces.**

"Oh no the third protection spell," said Lily, "and I bet you are going to have to play chess to get through it but I don't think it's going to be too easy.

"**Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.**

"**It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."**

**Behind the white pieces they could see another door.**

"**How?" said Hermione nervously.**

"**I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."**

**He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.**

"**Do we — er — have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.**

"**This needs thinking about…" he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces…"**

**Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess —"**

"Good job you're good at it though Ron, between the three of you you've each had the skills to overcome all that has been laid out before you," said Snape intrigued and a little amazed.

"It's obvious this one is Professor McGonagall's spell, you've quite a thing for Wizards chess," said Dumbledore with the blue twinkle in his eyes.

"**We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."**

"**Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go there instead of that castle."**

"**What about you?"**

"**I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.**

**The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Harry, Ron, and Hermione took.**

"**White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes… look…"**

**A white pawn had moved forward two squares.**

**Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?**

"I've a bad feeling about this," mumbled Remus warily

"**Harry — move diagonally four squares to the right."**

**Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.**

"**Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."**

**Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.**

"**We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think — let me think…"**

**The white queen turned her blank face toward him.**

"**Yes…" said Ron softly, "It's the only way… I've got to be taken."**

"What!" everyone cried?

"You can't have been serious there had to be another way," said Andromeda slightly worried.

"Glad my mother isn't here, she'd have a hissy fit if she had heard what I was going to do," Ron said shrugging. "Anyway as you can see I'm alive, so what is the worry?"

"**NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.**

"**That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I make my move and she'll take me — that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"**

"**But —"**

"**Do you want to stop Snape or not?"**

"**Ron —"**

"**Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"**

**There was no alternative.**

"**Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go — now, don't hang around once you've won."**

**He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor —**

**Hermione screamed but stayed on her square — the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.**

Everyone stared at Ron in shock, "It was the scariest thing I had ever seen," said Hermione the memory replaying itself in her head.

**Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.**

**The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.**

"**What if he's —?"**

"**He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "What do you reckon's next?"**

"**We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's."**

**They had reached another door.**

"**All right?" Harry whispered.**

"**Go on."**

**Harry pushed it open.**

**A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.**

"A troll," said Alice frowning before her eyes opened in surprise. Hermione and Harry watched her look to Snape and back at Harry before smirking. It was obvious to them both that she had worked it all out.

**I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."**

**He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.**

"**Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"**

**They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.**

"Oh no," said Lily "how are you going to get out"

"It'll have something to do with those bottles on the table." Bellatrix said rolling her eyes. Lily glared at the raven haired witch.

"**Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:**

_**Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,**_

_**Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,**_

_**One among us seven will let you move ahead,**_

_**Another will transport the drinker back instead,**_

_**Two among our number hold only nettle wine,**_

_**Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.**_

_**Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,**_

_**To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:**_

_**First, however slyly the poison tries to hide**_

_**You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;**_

_**Second, different are those who stand at either end,**_

_**But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;**_

_**Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,**_

_**Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;**_

_**Fourth, the second left and the second on the right**_

_**Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.**_

"See if you can work it out together," said Harry smiling he knew the answers and so did Hermione.

"Okay so there is three poisons, two nettle wines, a potion that will rid the purple flames one that will rid the black flames," started Snape. "Okay the last one on the right will move you backwards. The last one on the left side is a nettle wine which means a poison will be next to it. The second on the right side is nettle wine so a poison is next to that. I'd say the small one would be the one to send you forward because it'll have the least amount of liquid in it. So next to that would be the final poison. I think."

Hermione and Harry stared at him in shock. "I think you might actually be right. And you didn't see the bottles laid out in front of you," said Harry while Snape grinned.

**Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing.**

"**Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic — it's logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."**

"Another one for Hermione," said Lucius quietly.

"**But so will we, won't we?"**

"**Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."**

"**But how do we know which to drink?"**

"**Give me a minute."**

**Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.**

"**Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire — toward the Stone."**

**Harry looked at the tiny bottle.**

"**There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow."**

**They looked at each other.**

"Harry you're are going to go ahead on your own, which means Hermione will go back." Said Remus who had worked out where this was going.

"Yep," said Harry who looked at Lily when she placed her head in her hands.

"**Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"**

**Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.**

"**You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy — go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, and we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."**

"**But Harry — what if You-Know-Who's with him?"**

"**Well — I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."**

**Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.**

"**Hermione!"**

"**Harry — you're a great wizard, you know."**

"**I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.**

"**Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery and — oh Harry —be careful! "**

"**You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"**

"**Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.**

"**It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.**

"**No — but it's like ice."**

"**Quick, go, before it wears off."**

"**Good luck — take care."**

"**GO!"**

**Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.**

**Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames.**

"**Here I come," he said, and he drained the little bottle in one gulp.**

**It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking his body, but couldn't feel them — for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire — then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.**

**There was already someone there — but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldermort.**

"Eh, who is it then?" said James confused. Even Severus looked up surprised he had so expected it to be him.  
"I know who it is," said Alice. "I've just worked it out."

"Who is it then?" said Draco confused.

"Quirrell." Nearly everyone looked at her confused.

"How'd you work that out?" Lucius asked.

"It was simple, they had mentioned Quirrell's turban far too many times, plus Snape was always seen talking to Quirrell. It was when it said a troll that I worked it out. It was obvious Snape was going to have something to do with Potions as he was a Potions master, so the troll was obviously Quirrell's work. If you remember Quirrell ran into the Great Hall yelling about a troll in the dungeons, but Snape had been at dinner when it happened. Snape must have been on to Quirrell so when the troll was in the school he'll have gone after Quirrell who'd have gone to get the stone. Snape would have stopped him and that was how he got his leg bitten. But what I still don't get is why the turban was mentioned so much."

"That will be explained in the last chapter, as this one is now done." Harry said smirking.

"We've only got one chapter left; let's get on with it so we can have dinner." Peter said as his stomach rumbled.

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**One more chapter to go before it's finished :D Please review **


	19. The Man with Two Faces

**Last chapter here, please enjoy the ending thanks for reading :)**

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**The Man with Two Faces**

"Don't forget we've someone else coming from our time," said Hermione, she had a feeling it would be Ginny as the next book was Chamber of Secrets and she was very important in it. She doubted it was Luna because she didn't appear till the fourth or was it the fifth book. She wasn't sure when she first introduced everyone to Luna.

"Oh yeah, a newbie to the gang," said Sirius wiggling his eyebrows.

"Okay, ignoring Black who wants to read the last chapter," said Draco looking around the room.

"I will," Regulus volunteered taking the book from Harry. "So the next chapter is, **The Man with Two Faces**,"

"How can somebody have two faces?" Asked James confused, "What's he have one on the front of his head and the over on the back, I mean how would you keep it hidden?" Suddenly the realisation began to hit everyone.

"Alice you were right," said Narcissa surprised, "you were the only one to find it odd that the turban was mentioned so many times."

"I knew there was a reason but I didn't think he'd be hiding a face behind it."

"I'm impressed you worked it out before you started to read, but how about you read it so everything makes sense." said Harry

**It was Quirrell.**

"**You!" gasped Harry.**

**Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.**

"**Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter."**

"**But I thought — Snape —"**

"**Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"**

"But if Snape had nothing to do with it, who had been talking to Quirrell when you never saw Snape?" asked Lucius.

"You'll see soon enough," said Harry smirking.

**Harry couldn't take it in. This couldn't be true, it couldn't.**

**"But Snape tried to kill me!"**

**"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a counter curse, trying to save you."**

"Snape was trying to save you," gasped James in shock. "So when Hermione saw him muttering something it was in fact the counter curse." Hermione nodded.

Severus Snape looked relieved to know he wasn't the one that had tried to kill Harry or be the one attempting to steal the stone. He looked over to Hermione, if she hadn't had set him on fire he may have been framed for the murder of Harry Potter.

"**Snape was trying to save me?"**

"**Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really… he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching.**

**All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular…** **and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."**

"Personally I still think he wanted to referee as well so Gryffindor would lose," said Sirius winking at Harry who laughed.

"I guess Quirrell failed to kill you seeing as you are sat right here," said Bellatrix.

**Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry.**

"**You're too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."**

"**You let the troll in?"**

"**Certainly, I have a special gift with trolls — you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there?**

**Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off — and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly.**

"**Now, wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."**

"Mirror, does that mean Dumbledore moved the Mirror of Erised down to there?" Andromeda asked frowning.

"I believe so. Don't forget what Dumbledore said though that mirror shows your heart's desire not the truth." Hermione informed them.

**It was only then that Harry realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.**

"**This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this… but he's in London… I'll be far away by the time he gets back…"**

**All Harry could think of doing was to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror.**

"**I saw you and Snape in the forest —" he blurted out.**

"**Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me — as though he could, when I had Lord Voldermort on my side…"**

**Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.**

"**I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master… but where is it?"**

"That's his heart's desire, lovely," said Alice wrinkling her nose in disgust. "But the mirror won't show him where it is will it?"

"Nope like I said, the mirror shows his heart's desire, it doesn't show anything but that, his desire is to give Voldermort the stone, not to find the stone," Hermione explained.

"So where is the stone?" Regulus asked pausing from reading.

"Keep reading you'll find it," said Harry smirking

**Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give. He had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror.**

"**But Snape always seemed to hate me so much."**

"**Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead."**

"**But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing — I thought Snape was threatening you…"**

**For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.**

"**Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions — he is a great wizard and I am weak —"**

"Okay, I understand the reason Snape hated you, but what does he mean by his master's instructions. Unless Voldermort was in Hogwarts," said Draco.

"But nobody ever saw him, I mean how can you be there one minute and gone the next?" said Lily confused.

"What if he was always there?" said Neville frowning.

"What you on about Longbottom?" said Severus.

"I know where you are going with that Neville," said Ron smiling.

"Is someone going to explain all this to us?" asked Frank; Harry, Ron and Hermione shook their heads.

"**You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry gasped.**

"**He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly.**

"That doesn't sound good but Neville you were right?" Peter said.

"I think I understand but I hope I'm wrong," said Alice closing her eyes tightly.

**"I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldermort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it…**

**Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me… decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me…"**

"So it was Quirrell who broke into Gringotts," said Peter.

"What does he mean by keeping a closer watch on him?" said Snape a little worried.

"I could be wrong but maybe Voldermort is the second face?" said Alice. "I mean think about it, he's always with him, he had to keep a closer eye on him, and Harry heard him speaking but couldn't see him. What if behind the turban is Voldermort's face?" Everyone looked from Alice to Harry but Harry looked at Regulus waiting for him to continue reading.

**Quirrell's voice trailed away. Harry was remembering his trip to Diagon Alley — how could he have been so stupid? He'd seen Quirrell there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.**

**Quirrell cursed under his breath.**

"**I don't understand… is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"**

**Harry's mind was racing.**

**What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, he thought, is to find the Stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it — which means I'll see where it's hidden! But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?**

**He tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored him. He was still talking to himself.**

"**What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"**

**And to Harry's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.**

"**Use the boy… Use the boy…"**

"I think you are right Alice," said Professor McGonagall warily

**Quirrell rounded on Harry.**

"**Yes — Potter — come here."**

**He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet.**

"**Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."**

**Harry walked toward him.**

**I must lie, he thought desperately. I must look and lie about what I see, that's all.**

**Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban.**

**He closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.**

**He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket — and as it did so, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow — incredibly —he'd gotten the Stone.**

"How did that work?" gasped Lucius shocked.

"I don't get it, how can the stone just appear in your pocket," said Lily confused.

"Magic," whispered Harry winking at Hermione who understood the joke. "I think Dumbledore explains it to me later."

"**Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"**

**Harry screwed up his courage.**

"**I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he invented. "I — I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."**

**Quirrell cursed again.**

"**Get out of the way," he said. As Harry moved aside, he felt the Philosopher's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it?**

**But he hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.**

"**He lies… He lies…"**

"**Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"**

**The high voice spoke again.**

"**Let me speak to him… face-to-face…"**

"**Master, you are not strong enough!"**

"**I have strength enough… for this…"**

**Harry felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting him to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle. Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.**

"I knew it," said Alice and Neville at the same time.

**Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.**

"He doesn't look much better when he comes back," said Draco.

"How does one sleep with a face on the back of your head?" Peter asked confused.

"No idea Wormy," said Remus. "I can't imagine looking at a face on the back of a face, how do you think he did it?"

"Did what Mr Lupin?" asked Dumbledore.

"How did he infuse himself into Quirrell?"

"It appears to me that there has been some extremely dark magic used to infuse them together. However I believe that Quirrell is just a body to be used until he's stronger again, once Tom has regained power he'll push Quirrell aside, to die." Dumbledore explained.

"**Harry Potter…" it whispered.**

**Harry tried to take a step backward but his legs wouldn't move.**

"**See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapour… I have form only when I can share another's body… but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds…**

**Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks… you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest… and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own… Now… why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"**

**So he knew. The feeling suddenly surged back into Harry's legs. He stumbled backward.**

"**Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me … or you'll meet the same end as your parents… They died begging me for mercy…"**

"**LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly.**

**Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldermort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.**

"**How touching…" it hissed. "I always value bravery… Yes, boy, your parents were brave… I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight… but your mother needn't have died… she was trying to protect you…**

The room had fallen quiet it had now been revealed how James and Lily had truly died. This time Lily didn't cry it had appeared that she had used up all her tears. She sat there no emotions on her face. Everyone looked cautiously at Lily who continued to sit silently, none daring to make a move afraid of how the fiery redhead would handle. It was James who bravely placed a hand on her shoulder but she said nothing, she didn't flinch.

The five from the future looked at one another; they hadn't expected her to act like this. Her head turned towards Harry and stared at him and he quickly took the opportunity to look in to Lily's mind. It gave him the shivers when he saw her replaying what she believed to be her final moments. She had a lot of it wrong but the ending was the same, a flash of green light and she fell to the ground.

"Regulus, continue reading," she whispered dryly.

**Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."**

"**NEVER!"**

**Harry sprang toward the flame door, but Voldermort screamed "SEIZE HIM!" and the next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled, struggling with all his might, and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him.**

**The pain in his head lessened — he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers — they were blistering before his eyes.**

"**Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldermort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck — Harry's scar was almost blinding him with pain, yet he could see Quirrell howling in agony.**

"He can't touch you, but why?" asked Bellatrix, but Harry didn't reply he just looked at her smiling.

"**Master, I cannot hold him — my hands — my hands!"**

**And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms — Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.**

"**Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldermort.**

**Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face —**

"**AAAARGH!"**

**Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too, and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain — his only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.**

"That's horrible, but if you hadn't you'd have been killed." Said Severus, "but like Lucius I also don't understand why Quirrell can't touch you."

"I believe it may have something to do with Voldermort but I'm not certain," said Professor McGonagall looking towards Dumbledore to answer him but he was too busy writing in his note pad.

**Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off — the pain in Harry's head was building — he couldn't see — he could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldermort's yells of, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" and other voices, maybe in Harry's own head, crying, "Harry! Harry!"**

**He felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from his grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down… down… down…**

**Something gold was glinting just above him. The Snitch! He tried to catch it, but his arms were too heavy.**

**He blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange.**

**He blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above him.**

"Does this mean you are now out of the trapdoor?" asked Sirius his heart in his throat.

"Yes," Harry said.

"How did you get out?" Andromeda asked.

"I'm not so sure, all I can remember was everything going black and then waking up with Dumbledore staring down at me."

"**Good afternoon, Harry," said Dumbledore.**

**Harry stared at him. Then he remembered: "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick —"**

"**Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."**

"**Then who does? Sir, I —"**

"**Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."**

**Harry swallowed and looked around him. He realized he must be in the hospital wing. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.**

"**Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat.**

"Oh sweet, next time one of you three end up in the hospital I'm sending you a toilet seat," said Sirius giddily.

"Great," moaned Professor McGonagall.

"Would Madam Pomfrey really have sent Dumbledore out of the hospital wing?" asked James.

"Oh yes, she'll send anyone out of that hospital wing if she believes her patients are not getting the peace and quiet and the rest they need. There have been many of times Dumbledore has been sent out of the hospital wing.

**No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."**

"**How long have I been in here?"**

"**Three days. Mr Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried."**

"**But sir, the Stone —"**

"**I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say."**

"**You got there? You got Hermione's owl?"**

"**We must have crossed in mid-air. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."**

"**It was you."**

"**I feared I might be too late."**

"**You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer –"**

"**Not the Stone, boy, you — the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had.**

"It nearly killed you, Harry Potter you didn't tell us this!" snapped Hermione angry from been kept in the blue.

"Sorry," said Harry not wanting to rile her up anymore.

**As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."**

"**Destroyed?" said Harry blankly. "But your friend — Nicolas Flamel —"**

"**Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted.**

"**You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."**

"But won't he die?" Lily asked Dumbledore"

"Yes," he said.

"**But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"**

"**They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die."**

**Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Harry's face.**

"**To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all — the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."**

**Harry lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.**

"**Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking… sir — even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who —"**

"**Call him Voldermort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."**

"**Yes, sir. Well, Voldermort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"**

"**No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share… not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies.**

"It's an inside to how he treats his Deatheaters," said Draco quietly. He still remembered feeding logs into a roaring fire with one of the Deatheaters standing inside with Voldermort telling him to continue throwing in logs.

**Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time — and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."**

**Harry nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made his head hurt. Then he said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me… things I want to know the truth about…"**

"**The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."**

"**Well… Voldermort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"**

**Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.**

"**Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day… put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older… I know you hate to hear this… when you are ready, you will know."**

"He told me too late," said Harry bitterly, even Dumbledore looked up surprised this time. Hermione and Ron looked at him alarmed.

"You mean you could have found out years ago," said Ron angrily. "We went through all that and you could have known already,"

"I know, I completely forgot till this time, I understand half of it, but he could have told me half of the prophecy."

"What are you two going on about," said professor McGonagall.

"In the next two years there will be a prophecy made, I won't reveal too much to you as you'll discover more in the fifth book. It'll explain why he had to kill me," Harry told them.

"Unfortunately we were told too late and it cost a life," said Hermione looking down so she didn't look towards Sirius.

**And Harry knew it would be no good to argue.**

"**But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"**

"**Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldermort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.**

"Lily you saved his life," said James shocked, even Lily sat surprised and smiled softly at the knowledge that her sacrifice had saved her son.

**It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldermort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."**

**Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Harry time to dry his eyes on the sheet. When he had found his voice again, Harry said, "And the invisibility cloak — do you know who sent it to me?"**

"**Ah — your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things… your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."**

"How did you know that?" asked James shocked looking a little guilty.

"I know a lot of what goes on at Hogwarts Mr Potter," said Dumbledore his eyes twinkling.

"**And there's something else…"**

"**Fire away."**

"**Quirrell said Snape —"**

"**Professor Snape, Harry."**

"**Yes, him — Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"**

"**Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."**

"**What?"**

"**He saved his life."**

"I did?"

"He did?" said Severus and James at the same time. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione not knowing what to say.

"Erm yeah, but by your reactions I'm assuming it's not happened yet, so I think we'll move on."

"**What?"**

"**Yes…" said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt… I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace…"**

**Harry tried to understand this but it made his head pound, so he stopped.**

"**And sir, there's one more thing…"**

"**Just the one?"**

"**How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"**

"**Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone — find it, but not use it — would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes… Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavoured one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them — but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"**

**He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Earwax!"**

"Unlucky," laughed Peter, "I once had an earwax one it wasn't nice," Dumbledore smiled at the plump boy

**Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.**

"**Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.**

"**Absolutely not."**

"**You let Professor Dumbledore in…"**

"**Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest."**

"**I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey…"**

"**Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only."**

**And she let Ron and Hermione in.**

"**Harry!"**

**Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around him again, but Harry was glad she held herself in as his head was still very sore.**

"That isn't good, I'm happy you found some very loyal friends," said Lily smiling at her son. The shock of how she had died had affected her badly but she was now overcoming this and was happy to see how her son was at Hogwarts.

"**Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to — Dumbledore was so worried —"**

"**The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"**

**It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumours.**

**Harry told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldermort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.**

"**So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to die?"**

"**That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that — what was it? — 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'"**

"**I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.**

"Erm yeah sorry about that," said Ron guiltily.

"You are not the first Mr Weasley to say I'm off the rocker," said Dumbledore chuckling.

"**So what happened to you two?" said Harry.**

"**Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round — that took a while — and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall — he already knew — he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor."**

"**D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"**

"**Well, "Hermione exploded, "if he did — I mean to say that's terrible — you could have been killed."**

"**No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldermort if I could…"**

"**Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course — you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you — but the food will be good."**

"Can always count on Ronald to think about his stomach," said Hermione rolling her eyes.

"Can't believe we lost the Quidditch and Slytherin won," sulked Frank, he wasn't part of the team but he was a big supporter of it.

"Don't get too far of yourself," said Draco.

**At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.**

"**You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.**

**After a good night's sleep, Harry felt nearly back to normal.**

"**I want to go to the feast," he told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened his many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"**

"**Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said stiffly, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be. "And you have another visitor."**

"**Oh, good," said Harry. "Who is it?"**

**Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Harry, took one look at him, and burst into tears.**

"**It's — all — my — ruddy — fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"**

"Can you imagine Hagrid living as a Muggle," said Andromeda chuckling, "he might stand out a bit,"

"I can't imagine Hagrid not drinking again," laughed Regulus.

"I don't think Hagrid should blame himself, if the three of you hadn't been so nosey in the first place nothing would have happened." Said Professor McGonagall and secretly the three agreed.

"**Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldermort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him."**

"**Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"**

"**VOLDERMORT!" Harry bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. "I've met him and I'm calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads…"**

**Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've got yeh a present."**

"**It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Harry anxiously, and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.**

"**Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'course, he shoulda sacked me instead — anyway, got yeh this…"**

**It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry opened it curiously. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father.**

"**Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos… knew yeh didn' have any… d'yeh like it?"**

**Harry couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood.**

"It was the first time in my life since you died that I had seen what you looked like," Harry aid quietly not looking at anyone.

"That's really sad," said Bellatrix, the comment had hit her hard. She wasn't sure why as she didn't like either James or Lily, but she was growing fond of Harry.

**Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. He had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving him one last check-up, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colours of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.**

**When Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.**

**Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.**

"**Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…**

"**Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."**

The Slytherins in the room cheered but everyone else sat and sulked, but Draco didn't cheer along, he looked at them and shakes his head.

"Why you not cheering Draco, your house won?" said Professor McGonagall.

"Like I said don't get too far ahead,"

"I don't understand," said Lucius

"Read on Regulus,"

**A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.**

"**Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."**

**The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.**

"**Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes…**

"**First — to Mr Ronald Weasley…"**

**Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with bad sunburn.**

"Lovely mental image," Ron mumbled.

"… **for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."**

**Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"**

"Well done Ron, you've a very proud brother there," said Alice.

"Thanks and yeah I think he is you know," but Ron was referring to what he had just done in life not the chess game.

**At last there was silence again.**

"**Second — to Miss Hermione Granger… for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."**

**Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears.**

"Way to go Hermione," smiled Remus.

"Thank you, and for the record I wasn't crying I was mortified that I had been announced in the hall." She laughed

**Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves — they were a hundred points up.**

"**Third — to Mr Harry Potter…" said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."**

"Sixty Harry that's amazing," clapped Lily proudly.

"That should make you tied with Slytherin then," said Narcissa who had added the points up quickly.

**The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points — exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup — if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.**

**Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.**

"**There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom."**

Everyone looked at Neville in shock, "Well done Longbottom wasn't expecting that there," said Severus. Neville almost fainted from shock, that Severus Snape had complimented him.

"I'm so proud of you Neville," said Alice smiling at the boy she would never know.

"Thanks mum," he mumbled embarrassed.

**Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.**

"**Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."**

**He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.**

"How wrong were you," laughed Draco.

"Why what happened?" Bellatrix asked.

"Well what's the name to the next book and take a wild stab in the dark," he told her and watched the realisation appear on her face. Draco struggled to understand this new Bellatrix but if Neville could do it, and then he should be able too.

**It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls… he would never, ever forget tonight.**

**Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years.**

**Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.**

**And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly); Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavour Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.**

**It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.**

"**You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you — I'll send you an owl."**

"Or by car," winked Harry and Ron nodded.

"I don't want to know," groaned Lily shaking her head and for once everyone agreed.

"**Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to." People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:**

"**Bye, Harry!"**

"**See you, Potter!"**

"**Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.**

"**Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.**

**He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together. "There he is, Mom, there he is, look!"**

**It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.**

"**Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mom! I can see —"**

"Awwww how cute," cooed Alice, "someone had an admirer.

"When do we get to know a little more about Ginny Weasley?" asked Regulus intrigued.

"Next book, she starts Hogwarts then," Ron explained, he like Hermione was expecting Ginny to turn up.

"**Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point."**

**Mrs Weasley smiled down at them.**

"**Busy year?" she said.**

"**Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs Weasley."**

"**Oh, it was nothing, dear."**

"**Ready, are you?"**

**It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still moustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.**

"**You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs Weasley.**

"**In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away.**

**Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.**

"**See you over the summer, then."**

"**Hope you have — er — a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.**

"**Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer…"**

"And that is the end," said Regulus placing the book down on to the desk.

"Just like your father," people could hear Lily mutter.

"So what did you all think to this chapter?" Hermione asked intrigued.

"Gruesome,"

"Creepy,"

"Happy ending",

"Different." Were the words that had been called aloud?

"Do we get to meet some new characters in the next one?" asked Andromeda

"Yep I think Lucius is the only new character in here you get to meet," said Harry, listing off the years they met everyone else.

Lucius grinned, "I wouldn't be grinning if I was you," said Ron watching as the grin on Lucius face fell.

"When do you get to meet everyone else?" Frank asked.

"Erm Lucius is in the second, you've got Sirius, Remus and Peter in the third one. Fourth year I don't think you get to meet anyone new. Fifth year you get to see Bellatrix, Frank, Alice. Sixth year is Narcissa, and the seventh year you know of Regulus and Andromeda." Ron listed.

"Lily and James in the seventh one as well," said Harry, this time everyone looked at them in shock. "You two weren't there trust me,"

"You know I'm glad I'm here, reading about all of this shows me things Neville and I have missed throughout our years at Hogwarts, probably me more than any." Draco said finally glad to know more about the truths.

"I'm hoping this helps us in the long run to save the Wizarding World," Dumbledore explained. "But now I think it is time for dinner, and maybe a nap. We can start the second book later on,"

Just then a bright light appeared in the room, as the light faded they were greeted with a slim woman with bright red hair and freckles she stood tall and smiled at everyone.

Ron stood, "Everyone this is my sister Ginny Weasley"

* * *

**Phew it's finanlly finished, three years in the making has this story, and I'm so glad for it to be finally over. Thank you to all who have reviewed, favourited and alerted this story. Without out all of that it would never have been so successful, and Thankyou to all that have taken the time to read this. The next one in the sequence will be the Chamber of Secrets.**

**Please review the final chapter cheers :D**


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